Death On The Tracks: A New Chapter in Murder Investigation

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

by JENN WOOD

***

Cold cases do not stay cold because families stop caring.

Nearly eight years after Daniel Reed “DJ” Smith was found dead on a remote stretch of railroad tracks in Dorchester County, a newly surfaced investigative report suggests law enforcement was still receiving homicide allegations tied to his death — even as Smith’s family was kept in the dark.

The document, first reported this week by James Bessinger in the Carolina Courier, is a Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) “Detectives Investigative Report” dated October 13, 2022. It recorded a jailhouse interview in which an inmate described Smith’s death as a murder — a report Smith’s family members say they never received.

For Lesia Melendez and Eric Melendez, DJ’s mother and stepfather, the disclosure reopened wounds that never truly healed. From the beginning, Lesia Melendez has maintained her son did not die accidentally — that he was killed elsewhere and his body placed on the tracks. FITSNews’ Death on the Tracks investigation documented those concerns in detail, raising serious questions about how the case was handled – and why it stalled.

***

A NEWLY SURFACED REPORT…

The three-page report (.pdf) identifies the “incident victim” as “Daniel Smith” and lists the incident location as “101 Orangeburg Road, Summerville South Carolina.” It states that on Oct. 13, 2022, a detective was alerted by a DCSO supervisor that a man arrested the night before wanted to speak with law enforcement about a “murder,” and that the detective went to the Dorchester County jail to conduct an interview.

According to the report, the inmate identified “DJ Squirrel” as the victim and referenced a body found on the railroad tracks in the Jedburg area “a couple years ago.” The detective’s narrative then described the inmate as indicating he had “lived with the ‘boys,’” and — in a partially redacted passage — named individuals he said were involved before the inmate became quiet and appeared fearful.

On the next page, the report contained a series of heavily redacted details in which the inmate claimed Smith was picked up, transported in a vehicle, and killed — including an allegation that Smith’s neck was broken “in the car.” It also indicated the inmate described a motive “over a ‘girl,’” and provided additional background about where some of the people alleged to have been involved may have lived or stayed at the time.

The final page reflected the most consequential turn in the interview: the inmate allegedly said other people were involved but would not discuss them, and he referenced “HA,” which the report says was understood as “Hells Angels.” The detective documented that the inmate became visibly shaken and increasingly defensive during this line of questioning, ultimately asking to end the conversation and return to his cell.

The report was marked “NO ACTION/INTERVIEW ONLY.”

***

RELATED | A FAMILY SEARCHES FOR ANSWERS

***

DCSO’S RESPONSE

In response to questions from FITSNews, DCSO public information officer Steven Wright said the 2022 interview was not ignored – and that the resulting investigative report was forwarded to the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), which according to him remains the lead investigative agency.

According to Wright, DCSO’s Criminal Investigations Division was notified on October 13, 2022, that an inmate wished to speak with detectives regarding a reported homicide. Detectives conducted the interview and forwarded their reports to SLED for review and potential follow-up.

Wright said information gathered during the DCSO investigation, SLED’s investigation, and the autopsy findings were “contradictory” and ultimately “discredited the statements made by the inmate in 2022.”

Wright said he was unable to provide FITSNews with the original 2022 referral documentation because the investigator who handled the matter has since retired. However, he did provide a February 2025 email exchange (.pdf) showing that SLED confirmed receipt of the 2022 investigative notes during what Wright described as a routine case status follow-up. In that email, a SLED lieutenant confirmed the documentation had been received, reviewed, and added to SLED’s case file – and that it did not generate any new substantive leads.

***

***

When asked how law enforcement determines whether a jailhouse interview alleging homicide warrants further investigation, Wright said that assessment depends on credibility, detail, and verifiability — including whether the inmate provides non-public facts, whether there is an apparent motive to fabricate, and whether the information aligns with existing evidence and forensic findings.

He said the decision to pursue additional investigative steps rests with the lead agency — in this case, SLED — often in consultation with supervisory staff and, when appropriate, prosecutors or partner agencies.

Wright also said the Smith case is currently in “administrative status” at DCSO, and that any additional information received by the sheriff’s office would be referred to SLED for further action.

In addition, Wright disputed claims circulating online that the sheriff’s office was administering polygraph examinations to its own officers in an effort to identify the source of the report’s disclosure, calling that assertion “patently untrue.”

***

WHY THIS LEAD MATTERS…

For Smith’s family, the existence of the 2022 report is not simply a new lead — it is confirmation that years after DJ’s death was publicly framed as a train accident, investigators were still documenting murder allegations internally.

FITSNews’ prior reporting identified numerous red flags in the original investigation, including conflicting witness timelines, limited follow-up on key leads, untested or minimally tested physical evidence, and inconsistencies between Smith’s injuries and what would be expected from a high-speed train strike.

An independent medical expert who reviewed Smith’s autopsy for Death on the Tracks concluded he did not die where his body was found – and would not have survived long enough to walk onto the tracks. Those findings reinforced the family’s long-held belief that his death involved foul play – and the subsequent staging of a railroad-related “accident.”

That context makes the 2022 DCSO report especially significant. It revealed that these concerns about homicide were not limited to the family or outside observers – but were still being raised within law enforcement circles years after Smith’s death.

***

RELATED | FITSFILES: ‘DEATH ON THE TRACKS’

***

WHAT’S NEXT

In February 2024, Smith’s parents turned to civil court, filing a wrongful death lawsuit in hopes of forcing answers that eluded the criminal investigation. Their attorney, Tucker Player, has said the case is not about money, but about truth — and accountability.

While DCSO now says the inmate’s statements were ultimately discredited and the case is in administrative status, the family continues to question why they were never told about the jailhouse confession — and why the report recounting it was not shared with them sooner.

Each new document, Lesia Melendez has said, brings both validation and renewed grief.

“My son mattered,” she has said. “He still matters.”

FITSNews has submitted a new Freedom of Information Act request to SLED seeking records related to any additional leads, referrals, or investigative actions taken since the outlet’s previous FOIA requests in the DJ Smith case.

The newly surfaced report does not establish guilt, nor does it resolve what happened to Smith. But it adds weight to what his family — and this outlet — have reported for years: that his death was never as simple as it was made to seem, and that unanswered questions remain.

Anyone with information about the circumstances surrounding DJ Smith’s death is encouraged to contact FITSNews at research@fitsnews.com.

***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

As a private investigator turned journalist, Jenn Wood brings a unique skill set to FITSNews as its research director. Known for her meticulous sourcing and victim-centered approach, she helps shape the newsroom’s most complex investigative stories while producing the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts. Jenn lives in South Carolina with her family, where her work continues to spotlight truth, accountability, and justice.

***

WANNA SOUND OFF?

Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.