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Lingering questions after arson ruled out in devastating fire at judge’s waterfront mansion

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Lingering questions after arson ruled out in devastating fire at judge’s waterfront mansion

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South Carolina authorities are stepping back from arson as a potential cause for the fire at the waterfront home of a longtime judge and her Vietnam War hero husband after a preliminary investigation — but questions remain about the cause of the blaze that leveled their million-dollar home in Edisto Beach.

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Judge Diane Schafer Goodstein, 69, was out walking her dogs when the house went up in flames Saturday, according to the Post and Courier. Her husband, 81-year-old former state lawmaker Arnold Goodstein, reportedly suffered broken legs after jumping out a window to escape the heat. Their son and grandson were also injured.

“At this time, there is no evidence to indicate the fire was intentionally set,” Mark Keel, chief of South Carolina’s State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), said Monday night. “SLED agents have preliminarily found there is no evidence to support a pre-fire explosion.”

Investigators were still looking into the cause of the fire, however.

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A still frame taken from aerial video shows smoke billowing and flames raging out of the Edisto Beach home of South Carolina Judge Diane Goodstein. (Robby Borden/TMX)

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“Upon the conclusion of the investigation, SLED will issue a follow-up statement with additional information,” Keel added. “I urge our citizens, elected officials and members of the press to exercise good judgment and not share information that has not been verified.”

The following questions remain unanswered as the probe continues:

What caused the fire?

Despite early reports that an explosion preceded the house fire, authorities ruled that out. Without evidence that it was intentionally set, the cause is still unknown.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, which operates under the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the vast majority of house fires are caused by mishaps involving cooking equipment. Less often, they can be sparked by electrical problems, heating equipment or “unintentional, careless” behavior. 

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Flames engulfed the waterfront home on Edisto Island Saturday. (St. Paul Fire District)

Did prior threats play a role?

Judge Goodstein had ruled against the Trump administration last month in a case regarding voter registration, but her decision has already been overruled by a higher court.

Still, New York Democratic Rep. Daniel Goldman claimed “MAGA-world” and White House officials, including President Donald Trump and Stephen Miller, have “been doxxing and threatening judges,” on X over the weekend.

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Circuit Judge Diane Goodstein presides over a trial in a lawsuit between the Diocese of South Carolina and the national Episcopal church on July 8, 2014, in St. George, S.C.  (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins, File)

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“Today, someone committed arson on the Judge’s home, severely injuring her husband and son,” he wrote on Sunday. “Will Trump speak out against the extreme right that did this??”

Goldman was a key part of the first impeachment proceedings against Trump during his first time in office. He could not immediately be reached for comment.

Miller called the X post “demented smears” and “libelous madness,” while Keel doused the allegation Monday night, when he said there was no indication that the fire had been set intentionally.

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A spokesperson for SLED did not immediately respond to questions about whether investigators had confirmed the Goodsteins were receiving threats. 

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Keel said separately there was no evidence that the fire had been set off by an explosion as if it were linked to a bombing.

A portrait of Judge Diane Goodstein from the South Carolina Courts website. (SC Courts)

What is the extent of the victims’ injuries?

Firefighters said they raced to the isolated home in kayaks to help victims, at least one of whom needed an airlift to the hospital. But details of the rescue beyond that remain unclear.

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Three people were hospitalized, and Arnold Goodstein reportedly broke both legs after jumping out of a backyard window. Details about the injuries of two more victims, believed to be other family members, remain unclear.

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According to Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., the blaze also killed the family’s pets.

What evidence has been collected?

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Fire marshals have likely already evaluated what remains of the burned-out structure as they searched for signs of its origin and potential accelerants, according to Fire Administration guidelines. The full investigation, which may include forensic testing of materials recovered from the scene, could take up to several months.

Bystanders also took video from the air and water nearby, which may or may not have evidentiary value.

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Atlanta-area police blast parents over vodka martini packed in school lunch: ‘That is NOT apple juice’

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Atlanta-area police blast parents over vodka martini packed in school lunch: ‘That is NOT apple juice’

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An Atlanta-area police department issued a blunt notice to parents after officers claimed a child brought a vodka-based beverage to school — tucked beside Doritos in a packed lunch.

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The City of South Fulton Police Department sounded off about the incident in a now-viral Facebook post, warning parents to “CHECK. THE. LUNCHBOX.”

“Say Twin… Before you send them babies off to school… CHECK. THE. LUNCHBOX. Because why are we getting reports of juice boxes sitting next to… Cutwater margaritas??” the department wrote.

Officials also shared a photo of the alleged lunchbox, containing what appears to be a child’s lunch, Doritos and a Cutwater Lemon Drop Martini.

The police department shared a photo of a Cutwater canned cocktail in a lunchbox. (City of South Fulton Police Department via Facebook)

“That is NOT Capri Sun. That is NOT Apple Juice. That is a whole ‘Parent had a long night’ starter pack,” the department wrote. “Now little Johnny done pulled up to 3rd period talking about: ‘Who want fruit snacks?’ knowing good and well he got a Lemon Drop Martini in the zipper pocket.”

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Cutwater Lemon Drop Martinis, as found in the lunchbox, are 11% ABV ready-to-drink cocktails made with vodka, triple sec, lemon juice and natural flavors.

They come in 12-ounce cans, similar in appearance to a soda can.

The City of South Fulton Police Department issued a statement after the apparent mishap. (City of South Fulton Police Department via Facebook)

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The department said it understands mornings can be hectic, but issued a stern notice to parents to “TIGHTEN UP.”

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“Your child shouldn’t be the only one in the cafeteria with a beverage that requires an ID,” authorities wrote. “If it says 12% ABV… it does NOT belong next to a PB&J.”

Officials also provided a “quick parent checklist,” with items including: “Homework,” “Lunch packed,” and “Alcoholic beverages.”

Boxes of Cutwater Tiki Rum Mai Tai and Strawberry Margarita canned cocktails. (Gado/Getty Images)

“Check the lunchbox before the Fulton County Schools Police resource officers gotta do inventory at recess,” the department added.

It is unclear if any parents or students were disciplined in relation to the mix-up.

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Fulton County Schools did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The City of South Fulton, Georgia, is a rapidly growing municipality located about 20 minutes from Atlanta and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

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Federal prosecutor admits ‘extraordinary’ timing in Abrego Garcia smuggling case charges

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Federal prosecutor admits ‘extraordinary’ timing in Abrego Garcia smuggling case charges

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A federal prosecutor acknowledged Thursday that the decision to charge Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia two years after a routine traffic stop was “extraordinary” while defending the human smuggling case as legally justified.

Abrego Garcia, 31, has become a flash point in the national immigration debate since last March, when he was deported to El Salvador in violation of a 2019 court order in what Trump administration officials acknowledged was an “administrative error.” 

The Supreme Court later ruled that the administration had to work to bring him back to the U.S.

After returning in June, Abrego Garcia was taken into federal custody in Nashville and detained on human smuggling charges stemming from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee.

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He has pleaded not guilty and is seeking dismissal of the charges on the grounds of vindictive and selective prosecution.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia and his wife Jennifer Vasquez Sura, left, are accompanied by Lydia Walther-Rodriguez, right, of We Are Casa, as they leave the federal courthouse, Thursday, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

A 2019 court order prevents Abrego Garcia from being deported to El Salvador after an immigration judge determined he faced danger from a gang that had threatened his family. He immigrated to the U.S. illegally as a teenager and has been under the supervision of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

Abrego Garcia was accused in court records of repeated domestic violence against his wife, who alleged multiple incidents of physical abuse in protective order filings. She later withdrew the protective order request and has defended her husband publicly. 

The Department of Homeland Security has also said he was living in the U.S. illegally and has alleged ties to MS-13, disputing portrayals of him as simply a “Maryland man.” His attorneys have denied the gang allegations.

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Tennessee Highway Patrol body camera footage from when Abrego Garcia was pulled over for speeding shows a calm exchange with officers. While officers discussed suspicions of smuggling among themselves — noting there were nine passengers in the vehicle — Abrego Garcia was issued only a warning.

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A woman holds a sign in support of Kilmar Abrego Garcia in front of the U.S. District Court in Nashville. (Getty Images )

First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Rob McGuire, who was acting U.S. attorney in April 2025, testified Thursday that his decision to charge Abrego Garcia was based on the evidence.

“I had previously prosecuted several human smuggling cases,” McGuire said, noting that after seeing video of the traffic stop, “I was immediately struck by how similar what was being depicted in the body cam was to those investigations.”

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McGuire said Abrego Garcia’s vehicle belonged to someone with “a human smuggling background” and added that the route was “suspicious.”

“It was a large number of individuals traveling in one SUV with a driver who spoke for the group. No one had luggage… the car had Texas plates… the route was suspicious,” McGuire said.

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Kilmar Abrego Garcia arrived at the federal courthouse, Thursday, for a hearing on whether the charges against him should be dismissed. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

During cross-examination, McGuire acknowledged that the timing of the charges, coming so long after the traffic stop, was “extraordinary.”

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He said he had not previously been aware of the traffic stop but reiterated that nobody in the Trump administration, including the White House or the Department of Justice, pressured him to seek the indictment.

When asked about whether he might have felt pressure to prosecute the case, McGuire said, “I’m not going to do something that is wrong to keep my job.”

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Kilmar Abrego Garcia, right, and his brother Cesar Abrego Garcia, center, arrive at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Baltimore, Aug. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

McGuire also said timing factored into charging Abrego Garcia since he was being held in El Salvador, and he did not want the indictment to go public before all senior officials were briefed on the matter.

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“I knew from the get-go that this was going to be a controversial matter,” McGuire said.

U.S. District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw did not make a ruling Thursday and said he would wait to receive post-hearing briefs from attorneys by March 5 before determining whether another hearing is necessary.

Crenshaw previously found some evidence that the prosecution “may be vindictive” and that prior statements by Trump administration officials “raise cause for concern.”

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Thursday’s court appearance came after a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from re-arresting Abrego Garcia into federal immigration custody on Feb. 17.

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Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch, Jake Gibson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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GOP Rep Nancy Mace introduces ‘Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act’

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GOP Rep Nancy Mace introduces ‘Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act’

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Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., has introduced a bill to authorize the death penalty as a potential punishment for the sexual abuse of children.

“We have zero mercy for child rapists. Those who prey on our most vulnerable deserve the harshest consequence we can deliver,” Mace said in a statement.

The proposal is aptly called the “Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act.”

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., announces she will run for South Carolina governor during a press conference at the Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, on Aug. 4, 2025. (Tracy Glantz/The State/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

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“No predator should be allowed to walk away from the most unthinkable crimes against children,” Mace noted. 

“This bill is simple. Rape a child and you don’t get a second chance, you get the death penalty. We will never apologize for protecting America’s children,” Mace added.

The bill would put capital punishment on the table as an option to punish those who sexually abuse children.

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Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., attends the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C.  (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

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“INTRODUCING: The Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act to amend Title 18 to authorize the death penalty for aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse of a minor and abusive sexual contact offenses against children. It will also amend the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) to authorize the death penalty for the rape of a child,” she said in a post on X.

“We’ve spent months fighting to expose Jeffrey Epstein’s network of powerful predators. We’ve demanded accountability and pushed for transparency. Now we’re making sure anyone who rapes a child faces the ultimate consequence,” she noted.

Mace has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since early 2021. 

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She is one of the candidates currently running in the South Carolina Republican gubernatorial primary.

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