SC judge’s house burns down, lights up the internet with conspiracy theories
A fire that burned down a South Carolina judge’s beach house also lit up the internet and air waves with apparently false reports that criminals had torched her house in retaliation for a ruling she made.
“You’re really not going to believe this one,” a personality on TikTok’s “underthenewsdesk” told the site’s 3 million viewers in a one-minute and 27-second video that linked last Saturday’s fire at Judge Diane Goodstein’s home to her September denial of an effort by the Trump administration to get S.C. private voter data.
Unfounded reports are apparently what caused State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel to issue a statement Monday saying, “At this time, there is no evidence to indicate the fire was intentionally set. SLED Agents have preliminarily found there is no evidence to support a pre-fire explosion.”
Keel continued, “The investigation into the fire is still active and ongoing. Upon the conclusion of the investigation, SLED will issue a follow-up statement with additional information. I urge our citizens, elected officials, and members of the press to exercise good judgment and not share information that has not been verified.”
SLED’s arson investigators arrived at the house Edisto Beach in Colleton County on Saturday while it was still burning. Arson investigators, generally speaking, have access to field tests that can quickly determine the presence of accelerants, such as gasoline, and SLED also likely used an arson police dog to sniff for accelerants, a law enforcement source said.
Keel’s issuance of a statement saying “no evidence” exists to indicate the fire was intentionally set likely means that SLED’s initial tests for arson have found nothing, the source said.
Goodstein’s voter privacy ruling
On Sept. 2, Goodstein, 69, granted a temporary injunction in favor of a Calhoun County former educator who sued the State Election Commission seeking to stop it from turning over certain private voter data of the state’s 3.3 million voters to the Trump administration’s Department of Justice. The data includes phone number, driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers.
The lawsuit’s plaintiff, Anne Crook, wants to know why the Trump administration wants that data and how it will be safeguarded, her lawyers Skyler and State Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, have said.
On Sept. 11, a unanimous S.C. Supreme Court ruled that Goodstein did not have any evidence that would have given her grounds to issue an order stopping the Election Commission from turning over the material to the Justice Department.
On Sept. 26, a new judge in the case, Daniel Coble of Richland County, heard arguments on whether he should issue a temporary injunction stopping the Election Commission from turning over the material.
On Oct. 1, Coble denied the motion, noting that the Election Commission is studying the matter of whether to turn over the private voter data to the Justice Department and has made no final decision. At that hearing, Election Commission attorney Liz Crum pledged the commission will ascertain private voter data will be kept confidential. The commission may discuss the matter at its next meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 15.
Rumors fly after fire
Against that backdrop, Goodstein’s house caught fire. Rumors flew that her house had been targeted because of her ruling in the voter privacy case.
Within a day of the fire, Rep. Daniel Goldman, D-NY, posted on X that “Trump ... and MAGA-world have been doxxing and threatening judges who rule against Trump, including Judge Goodstein ... Today, someone committed arson on the Judge’s home, severely injuring her husband and son. Will Trump speak out against the extreme right that did this??”
The State Supreme Court released a public statement Saturday evening, hours after the fire. It said, “Chief Justice John W. Kittredge is aware of an incident involving Circuit Court Judge, Diane Goodstein. At this time, SLED is on the scene and will begin investigating as soon as the fire has been contained. Local law enforcement partners have been alerted and asked to provide extra patrols and security. The Judicial Branch will remain in close communication with SLED.”
About an hour earlier Saturday, Kittredge had sent a private email to state judges saying, “I wish to alert you to a situation involving our dear friend and colleague, Diane Goodstein. Judge Goodstein and her family are alright but there was an apparent explosion at her beach house that resulted in a fire that destroyed the home. SLED Chief Keel called me about noon today, and he is keeping me updated.”
Kittredge continued, “Here is the information I have. I cannot confirm that the information is precisely correct. Chief Keel was not on the scene; he was relaying reports from those on the scene. With that disclaimer, I am informed Judge Goodstein was walking on the beach when the fire started. Her husband, Arnie, was in the house with children and perhaps grandchildren. The family had to escape by jumping from a window or balcony. I’m told there were injuries from the fall, such as broken legs. Arnie’s injuries may have been the most serious, for he was airlifted to the hospital. The others were transported by ambulance.
“Chief Keel has spoken with Diane. She is physically fine. I have heard from several judges in the area who are at the hospital or are enroute. SLED’s arson investigators have arrived but can’t begin their investigation until the fire is contained.
“Chief Keel said he will stay in touch and let us know if there is any evidence of arson. At this time, we do not know whether the fire was accidental or arson. Until that determination is made, Chief Keel has alerted local law enforcement to provide extra patrols and security.
“And finally, and importantly, I ask that you be vigilant and please keep Diane and her family in your prayers,” Kittredge wrote.
Media enters the fray
Since the weekend, SLED has been inundated with calls from around the nation and world about Goodstein’s house.
“We’ve had media requests from more than 50 organizations,” said SLED spokeswoman Renee Wunderlich. They include CNN, Fox News, Washington Post, NPR, English news outlets and “all the nets,” she said.
Since Keel made his statement Monday that no evidence of arson exists, news media requests have fallen sharply, Wunderlich said Wednesday.
Goodstein’s husband of 42 years, Arnold, was taken to MUSC in Charleston, where he was operated on Monday for multiple fractures, a longtime family friend said. The operation took more than five hours and he was given two liters of blood.
Arnold Goodstein, 81, served in the S.C. House and Senate in the 1970s. He is a Vietnam combat veteran who won medals for heroism and was wounded in the 1968 Tet offensive, according to the 1980 S.C. Legislative Manual.
The family’s version
The fire started Saturday morning while Judge Goodstein was walking on the beach, a person close to the family said.
The person gave this account:
After the fire started, Arnold Goodstein got his adult son, Arnold “Arnie” Samuel Goodstein II, and two grandchildren, a boy and girl between 10 and 12, to a second story window.
The son tried to find a ladder, but the place where the ladders were was engulfed in flames. The son returned to Arnold.
Arnold said, “We’re out of time” and his son jumped out the window, breaking his ankle. Then Arnold dropped the two children and jumped after them, splitting his femur, an important bone in the upper leg.
“Then they all kind of drug each other away from the house. It was all real smokey. Neighbors came over. Somebody got a canoe and some kayaks and got Arnold in the canoe, and then EMS responded,” the person said.
Meanwhile, a family cat is missing, but may still be alive, the person said.
SLED’s arson investigators are still on the scene as of Wednesday, the source said.
The Goodsteins had many of their belongings at the house. All were destroyed and their cars were burned also, the person said.
“It’s devastating. But all that can be replaced. They are just trying to get Arnie back to health right now,” the person said.
The Goodstein family did not ask for SLED to come in, the person said. SLED routinely investigates investigates high profile incidents like this.
“The Goodstein family has never believed it was arson,” the person said.
This story was originally published October 9, 2025 at 5:30 AM with the headline "SC judge’s house burns down, lights up the internet with conspiracy theories."