BRUNSON, S.C., — For nearly a decade, people have waited to learn the truth about what happened to Stephen Smith on July 8, 2015. As part of CC News Network’s ongoing investigation—built on countless trips to the Lowcountry, in and around Sandy Run Rd, and dozens of interviews with sources close to the case—reporter James Seidel has uncovered new, firsthand allegations — never before disclosed publicly — regarding the death of Stephen Smith.
Acting on legal advice from our corporate counsel, investigative journalist James Seidel and his attorney met with SLED Special Agent Peter Rudofski on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, in Conway, S.C., to present the newly uncovered material. The one and a half hour recorded audio interview recorded by Seidel and a Confidential Source was formally submitted to SLED’s AXON evidence collection system in front of Rudofski and my attorney in the attorney’s office. More than three months have now passed since that meeting.
We have also protected our Source’s identity per their request, have upheld our journalistic integrity, and shared this information with law enforcement to aid them in solving this crime, help them make an arrest, and securing a conviction that will hold up in court. SLED and the office of the Attorney General of South Carolina are 100% aware of who our Confidential Source is.
For the safety and privacy of the witness, CC News Network is referring to them solely as a “Confidential Source.”
Editor’s note: CC News has not independently corroborated the confidential source’s allegations below. We recorded the interview, verified the source’s relationship to Patrick Wilson and Shawn Connelly, and furnished the full recording to SLED. These statements remain untested and are presented as allegations.
Methodology: CC News corroborated basic timeline details (dates/locations) and the source’s relationship to Patrick Wilson. We have not independently corroborated the substance of the source’s allegations.
What Happened to Stephen Smith on July 8th, 2015?
Stephen Smith, was a 19-year-old nursing student from Hampton County, South Carolina, and was found dead in the early morning hours of July 8, 2015, lying in the middle of Sandy Run Road with severe injuries to his head. Initially ruled a hit-and-run by authorities, the circumstances surrounding his death have long raised suspicions due to the lack of typical vehicular evidence, such as skid marks or debris. Smith’s body showed no signs of other trauma consistent with being struck by a vehicle, and his shoes remained on—an anomaly in most pedestrian collisions.
Scene of the Stephen Smith Crime Scene on July 8, 2015. Notice the Tire Tracks Coming Out of the Grass by the Cornfield.
New Allegations Emerge in Stephen Smith’s Death
For years, Stephen Smith’s mother, Sandy Smith, has pleaded for the truth, saying, “Somebody did this, and whoever it was needs to come forward so our family can finally have peace.” Her attorneys at Bland Richter LLP echoed that call, urging, “We urge anyone with knowledge of the events leading up to Stephen Smith’s death to contact SLED and help bring long-awaited answers.” Attorney Ronnie Richter added, “Anyone with information to come forward and provide the critical details needed to solve this case.”
My attorney and I made it clear to SLED Agent Rudofski that I was coming forward with this information for Sandy Smith and her family to have closure and bring those long-waited answers that Bland Richter LLP asked for.
All statements below reflect the confidential source’s account; CC News has not independently corroborated them.
In a recorded interview lasting over an hour and a half, our Confidential Source told CC News Network that on the night of July 7, 2015, the Confidential Source arrived at a home on Prince Williams Rd in Brunson, South Carolina around 11:30 p.m. Upon arrival, they asked where Patrick [Wilson] —whom they refer to as “Pat”—was. The other person there replied, “He and that Connelly boy [Shawn Connelly] went out for the night.”
The Confidential Source said it was just a few hours later—around 2 or 3 a.m.—that “They” [Patrick and Shawn] returned [to Patrick’s home on Prince Williams Rd]. “Patrick told us, ‘I’m not feeling good,’ and then he threw up, and threw up, and threw up,” the Source recalled. “Then he said, ‘******, I think we killed somebody.”
In a recorded exclusive interview with the CC News Network, the Confidential Source alleges in their statement to us, “They were the ones that killed Stephen Smith. [allegedly]” The Source described Patrick Wilson and Shawn Connelly returning home the night of July 8, 2015, and according to the Source, Patrick Wilson allegedly saying, “I think we killed somebody.”
The confidential source continued with their statement by alleging: “I know for a fact that they hit and killed Stephen Smith. I know they were down that road. I know it to be a fact.” The source repeated the assertion with conviction, adding to their allegation, “Patrick said it right there in front of me and [another person].” Seidel asked repeatedly about the date and time, and that it was Patrick Austin Wilson and Shawn Levi Connelly that they were recalling from the death of Stephen Smith on July 8th, 2015, from Brunson, S.C., and the answer all three times was, “Yes.”
The Confidential Source described Wilson’s alleged confession as “raw and disturbing,” noting that while the other person in the room with Patrick and the Source initially dismissed it as drunken rambling by Wilson, but the moment stuck with the Source ever since. According to the source, “Patrick was on something that night—he was high. But I heard him say it, he said it right in front of me,” the Confidential Source alleged.
We followed up one last time in the interview to be absolutely sure that it was Patrick Wilson and Shawn Connelly, both from Brunson, SC and on the night to early morning of July 8th, 2015, that they heard Patrick Wilson say they hit and killed somebody, their answer, “Yes, that’s exactly what happened,” according to the Source.
This is not legal advice. As a general evidentiary matter, when a witness reports a direct confession by an accused person, the statement may be treated as a party admission under the rules of evidence, subject to judicial rulings, such as the Confidential Source hears a direct confession from the person who committed a crime, that is not hearsay under most legal definitions—it may be considered an admission by a party opponent, which is a well-established exception to the hearsay rule under the rules of evidence and could be used as corroborating evidence.
Here’s the breakdown:
According to the Confidential Source, Patrick Wilson told them “I think we killed somebody,” and they told us in a recorded interview, that’s called a: → Statement Against Interest / Admission by a Party Opponent Under Federal Rule of Evidence 801(d)(2) (and mirrored in most state rules, including South Carolina), such a confession may be admissible, subject to the court’s ruling because it comes directly from a party to the case (i.e., the accused).
It’s only hearsay if someone else heard from someone else who heard it from Patrick, and that person is testifying or repeating it.
That becomes double hearsay, which is generally inadmissible unless each layer falls within a valid exception.
If the Confidential Source (or any close source) personally heard the confession from Patrick Wilson, then tells a someone else or an investigative reporter, (James Seidel | CC News), that’s:
May be potentially admissible in court if the source testifies or has a recorded video affidavit.
What can SLED do with this new information? The Confidential Source’s firsthand account of Patrick Wilson’s confession could be presented to a grand jury, subject to prosecutorial discretion and evidentiary rulings. Since the source directly heard Patrick say, “I think we killed somebody,” and described his physical distress (vomiting repeatedly), this is consistent with the Ssource’s account of a confession.
The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office could present this under Rule 801(d)(2)(A) as an admission by a party-opponent, which is not hearsay, and could be presented to a grand jury, subject to prosecutorial and evidentiary decisions.
The former home of Patrick Wilson on Prince Williams Rd. It is 3.5 Miles from Where Stephen Smith was Found Dead. Photo: CC News Network
️ Timeline of the Stephen Smith Investigation
July 8, 2015 – Stephen Smith Found Dead
Stephen Smith, 19, is found dead in the middle of Sandy Run Road in rural Hampton County, South Carolina.
His body has severe head trauma but no vehicular debris is found, and his shoes remain on his feet.
Initial calls treat it as a possible homicide, not a hit-and-run.
July 2015 – SLED Initially Declines Case
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) defers the case to the Highway Patrol’s MAIT (Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team).
Despite suspicious circumstances, the official determination leans toward hit-and-run, though SCDPS and some investigators express doubt.
2015–2016 – Investigation Stalls
Unfounded rumors circulate that Buster Murdaugh may be connected to the case, as his name appears multiple times in investigative notes.
No one is charged. The Smith family believes Stephen was murdered and that the investigation was influenced or mishandled.
June 7, 2021 – Murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh
Maggie and Paul Murdaugh are killed at the Moselle estate. This crime ignites national interest in the Murdaugh family. Why was Paul killed?
June 22, 2021 – SLED Reopens Stephen Smith Case
Based on evidence uncovered during the double homicide investigation, SLED officially reopens the investigation into Stephen Smith’s death.
No specific details are provided publicly at the time. But in an interview with Buster Murdaugh, days after the murders of his brother and mother, SLED agents question Buster about any threats he may have heard concerning Stephen Smith. Going so far as a SLED agent asking Buster, “Do you think someone was after your brother, and your mom just happened to be down there?” Buster’s responded by saying, “If I were to have a take, that’s probably what it would be.”
Attorney General Alan Wilson is involved in the renewed investigation.
January 2025 – Reward Increased for Information
Sandy Smith, the mother of Stephen Smith increases the reward for information that might help investigators solve the murder of her 19-year-old son from $30,000 to $50,000 dollars. In accordance with the $50,000 reward offer announced by Sandy Smith for new, credible, and material information leading to an arrest in Stephen Smith’s homicide, CC News Network formally submitted this interview to SLED Special Agent Peter Rudofski on July 29, 2025, in Conway, S.C. The one-and-a-half-hour recorded interview was entered into the AXON evidence system with legal counsel present. We submitted the materials to SLED on July 29, 2025, with counsel present. Any reward determination rests with the Smith family and their counsel.
July 2025 – Major Witness Interviews with Investigative Journalist, James Seidel
Seidel identified a Confidential Source close to Patrick Wilson who, for the first time, provided an exclusive recorded firsthand account detailing Wilson’s confession on the night Stephen Smith died. This witness has never before been questioned by law enforcement or involved in the Smith case until Seidel’s discovery.
Patrick reportedly told this Confidential Source in the early morning hours of July 8, 2015, ‘I think we hit somebody, I think we killed somebody,’ before vomiting multiple times.
This firsthand exclusive interview and all other interviews [Patrick Wilson] pertaining to Stephen Smith have been handed over to SLED by James Seidel with his attorney present.
We’ve Heard a Similar Confession Before – What is Different?
The confession by Wilson to the Confidential Source closely aligns with past statements made by Darrell Williams, father of two of Patrick Wilson’s half-siblings.
According to former Hampton police officer Nick Ginn, Darrell Williams called him in December 2015 and said that Stephen Smith had been struck by a vehicle—specifically by the side mirror of Shawn Connelly’s truck.
Ginn said in an interview with the South Carolina State Patrol: “Basically, Darrell called me and he said, ‘Look … he said this is what I was told – he said Patrick [came] over here to the house … he told me that Shawn Connelly was drunk and hit something,’” Ginn recounted. “He said he went back the next day to see what it [was] he had hit and he [saw] a lot of police out there. So he talked to one of the cops, and then he had left and then he learned – I guess by media – that somebody had been killed in that same area. That’s why the police were there.”
Williams also told Ginn that “Shawn called (Wilson) crying, saying that that’s what had happened.”
According to Williams, Patrick Wilson was so overwhelmed after retelling the story that he became physically ill and started to throw up outside. This matches up with the same throwing up episode described by our Confidential Source when they said Patrick confessed to them that he and Connelly killed someone while driving on Sandy Run Rd on the night of July 8th, 2015.
“Patrick was crying telling him and after he got finished telling the story, he walked outside his house and threw up,” Williams said.
That emotional response led Williams to believe Wilson was telling the truth, Williams added.
But our source offered a more chilling theory—one shaped by their intimate knowledge of Patrick Wilson’s habits and past conversations. We asked our source if they believed that Patrick confided in Darrell, “Probably did, said the source.”
Photo of Stephen Smith lying Dead on Sandy Run Rd on July 8th, 2015 Photo: SCHP
How Does our Confidential Source’s Account of the Confession Differ Legally from Darrell Williams?
Confidential Source’s Account:
Legal Status: ✅ Firsthand testimony of a party admission The Confidential Source claims they personally heard Patrick Wilson say, “*****, I think we killed somebody.” This is legally considered a firsthand statement and would likely qualify under Rule 801(d)(2) of the SC Rules of Evidence as an “admission by a party-opponent.” It is not hearsay and could be admissible in court if Patrick and Shawn are charged.
Legal Strength:
Direct evidence of a confession
Comes from a credible witness with a close connection
Strengthened by physical behavior (vomiting) that supports emotional distress
Darrell Williams’ Account via Nick Ginn:
Legal Status: ❌ Double hearsay Ginn did not witness the confession himself; instead, he’s relaying what Darrell Williams told him, and Williams is relaying what Patrick told him. This is hearsay within hearsay—also called “double hearsay”—and could be inadmissible in court unless both layers fall under valid hearsay exceptions.
Patrick’s statement to Darrell might qualify as an admission by a party-opponent.
But Darrell’s statement to Ginn is just a third party [Wilson] recounting a story—no established exception unless Darrell testifies.
Legal Strength:
Weaker in court unless Darrell Williams himself takes the stand
Still useful for corroboration or investigative leads
Potentially helpful in a grand jury or SLED re-investigation phase, where the standard is lower than in trial
Even if Darrell Williams testifies, his statement is still not firsthand knowledge of what happened to Stephen Smith. Here’s the legal chain:
Shawn Connelly → told Patrick Wilson → who then told Darrell Williams – That’s triple hearsay.
How the Confidential Source Believes It Could Have Happened
The source confirmed to CC News that Wilson and Connelly frequently hunted feral hogs at night using high-powered rifles, often shooting from a moving truck. Wilson, himself explained the technique in detail to James Seidel during a 2024 investigative interview: depending on which side of the truck the hogs appeared on, either he or Connelly would either shoot out the passenger window or sit on the door from the open window frame and fire across the top of the roof of the truck or just out the passenger side.
The Crime Scene of Stephen Smith on July 8, 2015 on Sandy Run Rd in Brunson, S.C.
The Confidential Source believes Smith was walking along Sandy Run Road that night when he was struck by Connelly’s blue Z71 Chevy pickup while the two were possibly out hog hunting with the headlights off, driving on the wrong side of the road to be closer to the cornfield where the hogs gather. This account aligns with long-standing speculation that Smith’s fatal head injury was not caused by a typical hit-and-run, but rather by the passenger-side tow mirror of Connelly’s slow-moving truck.
Shawn Connelly’s Blue Z71 Chevy truck, the Confidential Source alleged that this was the truck they knew Shawn Connelly Drove Patrick Wilson around in, and they Hunted Hogs from. Notice the large Sideview Tow Style Mirrors. Photo: Facebook
This backs the assertion made by the CC News Network in an article on why Smith was still in his shoes, the vehicle was slow moving at around 10 to maybe 15 MPH, but the force was large enough to slam the back of the mirror into Smith’s forehead, and because of Smith’s smaller body size, the force was enough to cause him to violently fall backward, slamming the back of his head into the hard concrete highway on Sandy Run Rd, possibly cracking open the back of Smith’s head to eventually bleed out. The road material on Sandy Run Rd is a dense asphalt mix with a high stone-to-binder ratio. In death investigations (like Stephen Smith’s), when a head hits this kind of road surface, the injury severity can seem “more like striking concrete” than “falling on asphalt” because there’s almost no energy absorption from the road, all to the head.
This image depicts large swaths of grass pushed down near the cornfield. Was this from Connelly’s oversized truck tires, which would have made Smith believe they were pulling over for him. When they were possibly driving on the wrong side of Sandy Run Rd to get closer to the cornfield to look for wild hogs. Photo: SCHP
Wilson’s Attempted Murder Charges just 82 Days Before July 8th, 2015
On April 18th, 2015, Hampton County Sheriff Craig Smith arrested Patrick Austin Wilson for Murder / Attempted Murder. The day prior it was alleged in the warrant that Wilson and a man by the name of Tim Cook got into an argument over payment to Wilson for worked performed. Wilson was once again a passenger in Shawn Connelly’s truck. The warrant lists Wilson as 5’4″ tall and weighing 110 pounds. This was the same officer Craig Smith that Wilson told us in our interview stopped he and Connelly on the morning of July 8th, 2021, in a license check.
Wilson stated to the CC News Network in a taped interview that he and Connelly were on an “All-night bender of drugs and alcohol at his dad’s house on Prince Williams Rd and went out in the morning on no sleep to acquire more drugs,” Wilson said. Wilson went onto say that Officer Craig Smith pulled a bottle of moonshine from the truck bed and allowed them, when they were underage at the time, to continue on. The same Officer Craig Smith that arrested Wilson just 82 days prior for attempted murder.
However, the Confidential Source told the CC News Network in our exclusive July 2025 interview that after Patrick returned to his Prince Williams Road home in the early morning hours of July 8, 2015, he was allegedly “throwing up all night and never left after he arrived home.”
The statement from the attempted murder victim. “On April 17, 2015 about 5:30pm to 6:00pm, I was traveling on Prince Williams Rd when I started being followed by Patrick Wilson driving a dark green full-size Chevy. I pulled over, Patrick asked about some money he thinks we owe him for a little work Patrick and his dad did for us. We, myself Terri, and husband Timmy, told Patrick I can pay him Monday April 20, 2015.
Patrick went to arguing, we drove off. As we was driving off Patrick then fired what appeared to be a .22 rifle. The bullet struck the sign on side of road. Went to stop sign, turned around, checked out sign, realized he did shoot. I then called 9-1-1.”
For background, April 17, 2015, was only 82 days before the tragic death of Stephen Smith.
Shawn Connelly’s statement: “Me and Patrick were riding around giving our crawfish traps time to sit. When we turned, a white truck turned behind us. Patrick said that it was the guy who owed him money (Timmy). Patrick stopped and waved to stop him as he went around us, but he did not. Patrick followed him till he pulled over and they talked about the money and Timmy snapped off at him and was cursing and yelling. Then pulled off and as he was leaving down the highway, Patrick grabbed my gun and shot at the sign right as he rode by. Timmy turned around and so did Patrick and Patrick hauled tail off.”
What the arrest warrant said:
Warrant for Patrick Wilson for the Attempted Murder of Timothy Cook. Photo: HCSO
What Happened to the Attempted Murder Charge?
On February 27, 2018, the criminal indictment against Patrick Wilson in Hampton County, South Carolina, was officially dismissed by the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office. The case, listed under Indictment No. 2015GS2500101-103 and Warrant No. 2015A2510200018-20, was marked nolle prosequi—a Latin term meaning the prosecution has decided not to pursue the charges. Wilson, who was out of custody at the time, saw the charges dropped for the stated reason of being “administratively handled,” a broad designation that typically indicates the matter was resolved outside traditional prosecution channels or deprioritized.
The attorney for Patrick Wilson for this case was Cory Fleming, former college roommate and coconspirator with Alex Murdaugh in the Gloria Satterfield insurance fraud. Wilson told us that his good friend, Paul Murdaugh told Wilson to call his dad, Alex Murdaugh. Wilson and his great grandmother, Lucy Altman, met with Alex at PMPED, but Alex referred them to his friend, criminal defense attorney, Cory Fleming.
Where are Patrick Wilson and Shawn Connelly Today?
Wilson was just recently confined in the Hampton County Detention Center for theft. Also, in just the past year, Wilson has been jailed by the Greenville County Sheriff’s Department for multiple violations of the law, including being charged with shoplifting goods valued at $2,000 or less. According to jail records, his bond was set at $1,000—either cash or surety.
This arrest follows another major legal setback from December 19, 2024, when Wilson was jailed under a bench warrant issued by Magistrate Judge Horne for failing to appear in court. That incident also involved Greenville County law enforcement and landed Wilson in housing unit MH2 with no bond set.
These are only the latest developments in a growing list of offenses for Wilson. On November 9, 2023, Wilson was arrested for receiving stolen goods under $2,000, triggering a cascade of consequences when he failed to appear for his scheduled show cause hearing in November 2024. A subsequent notice of failure to comply led to a 30-day sentence issued by West Greenville Summary Court Judge Darrell S. Fisher.
Inmate Details of Patrick Wilson Photo: Greenville County
As for Connelly, he’s currently suing Genuine Parts Company and Hampton Auto Parts, LLC Connelly was allegedly burned severely when fuel from a gas can was poured onto a burn pile by Connelly. The gas vapors ignited, flashed back into the container, and caused an explosion. Connelly was allegedly sprayed with burning gasoline, resulting in catastrophic injuries. He is being represented by attorney Brady Thomas.
As for Connelly: Case records in the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office for Shawn Levi Connelly show a total of 27 cases filed against him since 2014:
17 Traffic violations
7 Criminal charges
3 Civil cases
What Happens Next?
Our Confidential Source had some thoughts on what they told us in our exclusive interview. “I don’t want anyone saying, ‘Why didn’t I speak up sooner?’ I’m telling you now—I know in my heart Patrick and Shawn did it, he [Patrick] told me they hit someone and think they [Shawn and Patrick] killed someone,” the Confidential Source said.
For now, everyone will have to wait and see how SLED responds to this new information — never before heard from a witness with firsthand knowledge of what they say they saw and heard regarding the death of Stephen Smith.
As of this report, neither Patrick Wilson nor Shawn Connelly has been formally charged in connection with the death of Stephen Smith. However, Wilson told CC News Network that he was brought in to testify before a grand jury for nearly a full day and examined by South Carolina Assistant Attorney General, Creighton Waters.
When we discussed Stephen Smith and Paul Murdaugh with our Confidential Source, they told us, “After Patrick got of jail in December [2024] [Patrick’s Father] told me that Patrick has done something so terrible in his life that he cannot get over it, he cannot talk about it with nobody, then that was the turning point in my mind that him, that him and Shawn Connelly, I know they killed that boy.” [Alleged by Source]
The attorneys for the Smith family have previously stated, “We understand that providing information about a crime can be difficult, and we want to support the community however we can to bring closure for the Smith family.” Acting in that very spirit, James Seidel and his media company, CC News Network, carefully evaluated how best to handle newly uncovered materials. Rather than rushing to publish or sensationalize, the decision was made — in consultation with legal counsel — to work directly with SLED to ensure the new information, never publicly stated anywhere was properly preserved and handled.
This course of action reflects both journalistic responsibility and civic duty. We are grateful that the Bland Richter law firm recognizes the importance of this new evidence being placed in the right hands and based on their past statements should support our decision to step forward in a manner that strengthens, rather than undermines, the pursuit of justice in Stephen Smith’s case.
CC News Network will continue to investigate this case and provide updates as new information emerges or if arrests are made.
Prior to publication, Stephen Smith’s mother, Sandy Smith, was notified of the article, and, as a professional courtesy, our attorney also informed SLED of the forthcoming story in an email.
The content published on CC News Network, including but not limited to news articles, opinion pieces, interviews, and investigative reports, is intended for informational purposes only. All information provided on this website is based on publicly available sources, firsthand investigations, and statements from involved parties. Unless otherwise stated, all claims, accusations, and allegations mentioned by the Confidential Source are presented as alleged and are subject to further investigation, or legal adjudication.
CC News Network strives for accuracy and fairness in its reporting. However, the rapidly evolving nature of ongoing investigations may result in occasional discrepancies or incomplete information. We encourage readers to approach our content critically and understand that investigations often yield updates and corrections over time.
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About the CC News Network
James Seidel: Publisher, Award Winning Journalist, Author. Investigator, Podcaster, Talk Show Host, and Music Producer. The CC News Network is a distinguished media company in the world of South Carolina News, Weather, Sports and True Crime. At the beginning, James Seidel was only known as Crime and Cask and well known for his relentless pursuit of truth and justice in the Alex Murdaugh trial. As a journalist, author, investigator, radio talk show host, and record producer he has made significant contributions to uncovering some of the most complex and high-profile criminal cases of our time.
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