Person Of Interest In Stephen Smith Case Back Behind Bars

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A person of interest in the unsolved Stephen Smith homicide was arrested this week – but not for anything related to Smith’s case. 

Patrick Austin Wilson, 26, of Brunson, South Carolina, remains in custody at the Greenville County detention center following his arrest on Thursday (December 19, 2024) for failure to appear in court. Wilson is facing pending charges in Greenville and Hampton counties including larceny, receiving stolen goods and drug possession.

In Greenville County, Wilson is accused of failing to appear at a hearing on November 22, 2024 related to a charge of receiving stolen goods valued at less than $2,000 on November 9, 2023. He has been sentenced to 30 days in jail on that charge – unless he pays restitution and a nominal fine.

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On September 16, 2024, Wilson was charged in Greenville County with drug possession.  That case remains pending. 

Wilson was previously arrested in Hampton County on October 17, 2024 and charged with driving under suspension. In that instance, Wilson bonded out the next day. He later pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay a fine of $666.93.  Wilson has another pending charge in Hampton County for larceny related to an August 3, 2022 arrest for the alleged theft of tools and rifles from a Varnville, S.C. home on July 16, 2022. The value of the stolen goods in that case was estimated at more than $2,000 but less than $10,000. 

Wilson’s criminal cases continue to draw interest given his reported proximity to Smith’s death – one of South Carolina’s most enduring unsolved mysteries.

Smith was found laying in the middle of Sandy Run Road early on the morning of July 8, 2015 with a horrific head wound – initially believed to be the result of a gunshot. An investigation subsequently revealed that Smith had not been shot – but died as a result of blunt force trauma.

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In 2021, agents of the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) reopened an investigation into Smith’s death amidst rumors that Murdaugh family members were involved. Thereafter, the case attracted international attention after it was featured in media coverage and documentaries related to the financial crimes of Alex Murdaugh – and the murders of his wife and son.

While there is no evidence any member of Murdaugh’s family was involved in Smith’s death, the family name was repeatedly cited in the initial investigative report into his death. Earlier this year, Murdaugh’s surviving son – Buster Murdaugh – filed a lawsuit against multiple parties accusing them of defamation related to rumors of his involvement.

In recent weeks, our law enforcement sources confirmed that – despite certain reporting to the contrary – Wilson and Shawn Connelly, also of Brunson, S.C., remained persons of interest in connection with the ongoing investigation.

Connelly was named in the initial S.C. Highway Patrol Multi-Disciplinary Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) report on Smith’s death – along with Wilson. Our media outlet exclusively published that document (.pdf) last March. Shortly thereafter, we reported on Wilson and Connelly’s shared status as persons of interest in connection with the Smith case.

Wilson denied any involvement in Smith’s death in an August interview with James Seidel of Crime and Cask.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Callie Lyons is a journalist, researcher and author. Her 2007 book ‘Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal’ was the first to cover forever chemicals and their impact on communities – a story later told in the movie ‘Dark Waters.’ Her investigative work has been featured in media outlets, publications, and documentaries all over the world. Lyons also appears in ‘Citizen Sleuth’ – a 2023 documentary exploring the genre of true crime.

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