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Buster Murdaugh Amends Defamation Lawsuit: What It Means for the Stephen Smith Case

HAMPTON, S.C. – March 18, 2025 – Buster Murdaugh has escalated his legal battle against the producers of Murdaugh Murders: Deadly Dynasty, filing a motion to amend his defamation lawsuit against Blackfin, Gannett, Warner Bros. Discovery, Warner Media, and Campfire Studios.

Buster originally filed the lawsuit on June 14, 2024, claiming that the documentary falsely implicated him in the 2015 death of Stephen Smith. Now, in his amended complaint, Buster adds new details refuting the documentary’s claims—particularly those regarding his uncle, Randy Murdaugh.

The lawsuit challenges assertions made in the series that:

Randy Murdaugh called Stephen Smith’s father the morning after his death, asking for access to Smith’s electronic devices and passwords.
Randy was present at the scene of the accident investigation before Smith’s family was notified.

“These statements are false and were purposefully inserted into the series to bolster the inference that [Buster] killed Mr. Smith,” the filing states.

Defamation Lawsuit Could Shift the Narrative

For Murdaugh to win his defamation case, he must prove that:

The statements in the documentary were false.
The producers acted with actual malice, meaning they knew the claims were false or recklessly disregarded the truth.
The false claims damaged his reputation.

The lawsuit is one of the rare instances where a Murdaugh family member is taking legal action against the media rather than defending against criminal allegations.

If successful, it could:

Force a public retraction or settlement from the documentary’s producers.
Set a precedent for media accountability in high-profile crime reporting.
Further separate Buster from the Stephen Smith case in the eyes of the law and public opinion.

The Origin of the Randy Murdaugh Claims

The claims about Randy Murdaugh’s involvement were first reported by Mandy Matney while she was working at FitsNews on June 25, 2021. At the time she wrote, a family member told law enforcement that Randy was the second person to call Stephen Smith’s father after the coroner, offering to take the case for free. Matney’s article goes on to state, “Stephen’s relative tells him that she just officially left the house for the first time since Stephen’s death the day before and went to the store and a bunch of people kept coming up to her saying “Did you know the Murdaugh Boys are behind it, saying Buster Murdaugh the, one we went to school with did it, and some of his friends.”

This appears to be the first time that Matney mentions Buster Murdaugh as a possible suspect in her articles.

Stephen’s family member didn’t seem to believe this at the time.

“I’m just sitting here like ‘why?’ It makes no sense,” she said. “He’s never said anything bad about Stephen. He’s never been around Stephen.”

When asked who told her that she said Stephen’s friend, another kid who she named, and “a couple other people.”

However, the documentary took this claim further, alleging that Randy was actively involved at the crime scene and sought access to Stephen Smith’s personal devices—statements that Buster now argues were completely false.

The lawsuit does not directly name Matney, but if the case moves forward, they could be subpoenaed as witnesses if the defense argues that they relied on publicly reported information.

How This Impacts the Stephen Smith Case

Crime and Cask’s Independent Investigation

Crime and Cask News Network already solved the Stephen Smith case through extensive independent investigation, proving:

Stephen Smith was murdered from a hit-and-run from people who were illegally hog hunting from a truck.
The real killers are NOT members of the Murdaugh family.
Crime and Cask’s investigation uncovered key details about individuals connected to the case, including the role of illegal hog hunting in the events leading up to Stephen Smith’s death.

Buster’s lawsuit does not affect the ongoing SLED investigation but may influence public perception of the case. If he wins, it reinforces that the media falsely linked him to the crime. If he loses or the case is dismissed, speculation about his involvement may continue, despite lack of evidence.

Matney’s Co-Host Blast Buster Murdaugh

Eric Bland, co-host of a podcast that Matney owns, put Buster on notice with this X post, apparently a veiled threat to Buster as to what he has in store in these lawsuits. This was posted on June 17, 2024 by Bland. It apparently hasn’t had the effect Bland was hoping for, in possibly persuading Buster to drop the lawsuits.

A stunning new development in the Murdaugh matters happened today. Buster Murdaugh sued a number of production companies who produced many of the documentaries over the past couple years for what appears to be defamation in connection with being alleged in the documentaries to… pic.twitter.com/EHRB8NtGm8

— Eric Bland (@TheEricBland) June 17, 2024

What Happens Next?

The court will review Buster’s motion to amend the lawsuit.
If approved, the defendants must respond to the new allegations.
The case will likely proceed toward depositions and discovery, possibly revealing internal communications about the documentary’s production.

With Stephen Smith’s real killers still uncharged, Crime and Cask remains committed to pursuing the truth while exposing misinformation in the media and the justice system