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Agents of the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) are investigating a massive house fire on Edisto Beach at a home owned by S.C. circuit court judge Diane Goodstein and her husband.
“SLED is investigating a house fire in Colleton County,” agency public information director Renée Wunderlich told FITSNews. “The investigation is active and ongoing. More information may be available as the investigation continues.”
SLED did not confirm the specific address of the incident – nor did the agency disclose the owners of the home. The agency also didn’t say whether it was investigating the incident as a suspected arson attack – although multiple sources close to Goodstein told FITSNews the judge had been receiving death threats in the weeks leading up to the fire.
“She’s had multiple death threats over the years,” a judge close to Goodstein told FITSNews.
Law enforcement sources did not immediately indicate if there was evidence of criminal intention related to the cause of the blaze.
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Goodstein was not at the home at the time of the conflagration, multiple sources have confirmed. Multiple members of her family were present, however, including at least three who have been hospitalized with injuries sustained during the fire.
One of the individuals reportedly hospitalized in the aftermath of the fire was Goodstein’s husband, former S.C. senator Arnold Goodstein – who reportedly sustained serious injuries when he leapt from the burning structure after assisting family members in their evacuation. Another family member who was reportedly hospitalized with serious injuries was Goodstein’s son, Arnold Goodstein II.
According to our sources, the blaze at Goodstein’s home – located at 18 Planters Retreat on Edisto Beach – began at approximately 11:30 a.m. EDT on Saturday (October 4, 2025). It swiftly began consuming the four-bedroom, four-bathroom, three-story structure – which overlooks the marsh adjacent to the causeway connecting Edisto Beach to Edisto Island.
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Angie Moore, a witness to the blaze, posted on social media at approximately 1:35 p.m. EDT that a house on Edisto Beach was “completely engulfed in flames.”
According to a message sent on Saturday afternoon from S.C. chief justice John Kittredge, the fire stemmed from an “apparent explosion… that resulted in a fire that destroyed the home.”
“Judge Goodstein was walking on the beach when the fire started,” Kittredge wrote. “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,” Kittredge continued.
Sources close to Goodstein’s family confirmed her husband appeared to have sustained multiple broken bones in his hips, legs and feet following his fall – resulting in him being airlifted to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston.
Kittredge confirmed SLED’s arson investigators were on scene but “can’t begin their investigation until the fire is contained.”
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Kittredge indicated SLED chief Mark Keel would keep him apprised as to any developments related to the investigation.
“Chief Keel said he will stay in touch and let us know if there is any evidence of arson,” Kittredge wrote. “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.”
Goodstein has been associated with numerous high-profile rulings during her tenure on the bench. Just last month, she was involved in a controversial case involving the Palmetto State’s voter file.
The 69-year-old judge – who is originally from Dillon, S.C. – was elected by the S.C. General Assembly to be a resident judge of the S.C. first judicial circuit in 1998. She has served continuously on the bench ever since.
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UPDATE |
The latest details…
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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24 comments
OMG!! This is horrendous! Sending prayers for Diane, Arnold, Ari and others injured.
Terrible.
You are all in our prayers for a speedy recovery.
Joe and Rhetta Mendelsohn
So very sad. Prayers lifted for the family.
Why are you doxing the judge by putting her home address online like that? Sure, people can probably find it if they go digging for it, but if it’s reported that she’s getting death threats, why put it out there in a news article?
I doubt she will be living at that address for a while.
Why are you doxing the judge by putting her home address online like that? Sure, people can probably find it if they go digging for it, but if it’s reported that she’s getting threats, why put it out there in a news article?
I don’t think they put her home address in the article. Just the address of the beach house that was the subject of the article.
Uhhhh, dumbass the house is ashes! Chances are she doesn’t live there anymore. Southern intelligence?
Black Hats cleaning up!
She gets targeted by the DOJ and then this happens. No connection, right?
One Thing That Comes To Mind: A Motive In The Making?
Do you all remember a voter protesting giving data over to the DOJ over privacy concerns?
Let’s Look At The Timeline
Early August 2025: The DOJ requested voter registration data from South Carolina as part of a multi-state effort.
September 2025: A Calhoun County voter, Anne Crook, sued to block the data release, citing the state constitution’s right to privacy. A state judge issued a temporary restraining order in her favor.
Mid-September 2025: The South Carolina Supreme Court removed the temporary restraining order on procedural grounds, allowing the data release to proceed while the lawsuit continued.
Late September 2025: A state circuit court heard arguments on whether to grant a temporary injunction to halt the transfer.
October 1, 2025: Circuit Judge Daniel Coble denied the request for a temporary injunction, citing the need for state agencies to cooperate with federal requests and noting that the State Election Commission had already committed to not releasing data without a signed agreement that included privacy safeguards.
The lawsuit is still pending, the denial of the injunction means there is no current court order preventing the transfer of voter data to the DOJ.
So the question must be asked here. Did she allow or cooperate with giving this data over? Because if so I can understand why this would have someone extreme nervous to either retaliate.
The requested information includes:
• Full names
• Date of births
• Residential addresses
• State driver’s license numbers or the last four digits of social security numbers
I am just brainstorming here. Because the implications here carry some hefty criminal charges if some illegal immigration or dead relatives have been voting if you get my drift.
I wonder how many bought decisions it takes to afford a beach house like that.
Anonymous, you’re an ass. Working as an attorney since the 1980’s and serving as a judge since the 1990’s earns an honest income quite sufficient for owning a 2nd home. Your implication is vile. Maybe if you’d applied yourself, you, too, could reap some rewards. Pretty chicken not to identify yourself.
Yeah, and Alex Murdaugh is innocent HAHAHA! Keep shilling for these good ol’ boys….. it is finally catching up to ya’ll!
wow, she is a Judge, and an attorney not to mention her husband is a retired senator.
Ok. So her husband is a retired Senator? I wonder how many bought decisions and votes on legislation it takes to afford a second house like that.
Kinda reminds you of how the Murdaugh Family operated! Dirty southern lawyers and politicians!
Where does FITS live?
Our Governor is the chairman of the Federal Homeland Security Advisory Council. He gets threat assessments real time, SLED is investigating.
If something is up, they will find out. In the meantime, let them investigate. Its a terrible tragedy. Im glad people shared thoughts and prayers. Our state is safe as a state can be. In the meantime Trump needs to start following Federal Judge’s orders or he’ll be in his home on an ankle monitor.
The fact that Fitz can author this article without mentioning the recent ruling against the Trump admin is further proof they are merely biased stenographers masquerading as an independent journalists.
That can’t be! Judges, lawyers, and politicians, are automatically honest. Just ask Susan Giovanni or Noseyone. They will tell you.
Living in a north-east state, I do not know the judge or of her political affiliations, but this is pure evil and undeserved.
And I can tell you that when you’re a senior citizen, as she is, your heart, soul and body do not adjust to shocks and changes like this.
God bless the family
Unaffordable flood insurance premiums making homes unsellable is a strong motivator for unconventional solutions. What vandal would show up to burn a house down at 11:30 AM on a Sunny day when the house is occupied?
The gaslighting on this event is astonishing! SLED chief has stated “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.” So maybe there WAS a right wing extremist who firebombed the judge’s 2nd home due to political differences. But there is zero proof of that at this point. Most likely it was an accidental fire, or maybe a person who was mad at her for a previous sentence. Either way, nobody commenting here knows what happened and any speculation otherwise is just………well…….speculation.