What happened that caused ex-Conway man to be charged with racist crime? A breakdown
A former Conway, S.C., man who allegedly erected and burned a cross facing his Black neighbors’ home on Thanksgiving 2023 now faces federal charges after a state-level guilty plea resulted in no additional jail time.
The case unfolded over more than two years, drawing FBI involvement and national attention — and spotlighting South Carolina’s lack of a hate crime law. The federal indictment was announced Wednesday.
Here are key takeaways:
• The original incident: Worden Evander Butler, now 31, and his then-girlfriend Alexis Paige Hartnett were accused of harassing their next-door neighbors, Monica and Shawn Williams, with racial slurs and burning a cross facing their home on Corbett Drive on Nov. 23 and 24, 2023. Both were charged with harassment, and Hartnett also faced an assault charge.
• The FBI got involved quickly. Within weeks, FBI agents were at the couple’s residence as part of a criminal rights investigation. Agents seized items including a charred piece of wood, a crossbow, a pellet gun and multiple cell phones.
• The couple was forced out of their home. In March 2024, a judge declared the house a public nuisance after the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office filed an injunction. Butler’s mother, Janet Butler, who owns the property, was later allowed to return.
• Butler pleaded guilty in state court but got no more jail time. In January 2025, Butler pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and was sentenced to time served. South Carolina and Wyoming are the only states without a hate crime law, limiting the severity of state charges.
• Federal charges followed. Butler was indicted Wednesday, April 22, 2026, on two counts of interfering with housing rights and using fire to commit a federal felony. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison. He was arrested in California and will be arraigned in South Carolina in May.
• The victims say they still don’t feel safe. The Williamses, who live in Charlotte, North Carolina, full-time, bought the Corbett Drive house in 2021 as a future retirement home. Monica Williams said they notify law enforcement and neighbors whenever they visit. “We say a prayer and hope no harm comes to us when we’re there,” she said.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.
