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South Carolina deaths of former Bloomberg executive, wife and daughter leave neighbors perplexed

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South Carolina deaths of former Bloomberg executive, wife and daughter leave neighbors perplexed

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The neighbors of a South Carolina family found dead in their home on March 28 are perplexed by a lack of answers as to what happened.

The Spartanburg Sheriff’s Office found 54-year-old former Bloomberg manager Rick Samarel, his 45-year-old therapist wife Lina Samarel and their 9-year-old daughter deceased in their Greer home that Friday morning after receiving a call from a neighbor, according to a press release.

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“The nature of the deaths are curious to many of us in the neighborhood,” a neighbor living a couple of doors down from the family told Fox News Digital on the condition of anonymity. “Police were gone by 5:00 p.m., and family [was] in and at the house that evening.”

While the Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office identified the victims, they have not yet released a cause or manner of death.

SOUTH CAROLINA COMMUNITY ROCKED BY WEALTHY FAMILY’S DEATHS IN STATELY HOME

The Spartanburg coroner’s office confirmed the identities of the three deceased individuals to FOX Carolina as 9-year-old Samantha Samarel, 45-year-old Lina Maria Samarel and 54-year-old Richard Samarel. (Facebook)

The family’s neighbor described the area as “middle-class” and the Samarel family as “generally nice people.”

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Other neighborhood families “with children seem to have a very good impression of the family,” the neighbor said, adding that Lina “was a little less interactive.”

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The Samarel family’s loved ones gather outside their home on March 28. (FOX Carolina)

The neighbor said she assumed Lina was the primary caregiver for one of their daughters, “and just didn’t see her outside of the home very often.”

The sheriff’s office stated in a press release that there was a “language barrier” with someone at the Samarel home when deputies arrived Friday morning.

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Lina and Richard Samarel had three children, one of whom was found dead along with the couple on Friday. (Facebook)

“[B]ut once that was addressed, deputies entered the residence and discovered three deceased individuals inside the home,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release. “At this initial stage, this agency doesn’t feel like there is any threat to the public.”

The sheriff’s office said the couple’s two other children who lived in the home were at school when the three family members died, adding that the “agency would sincerely appreciate some compassion in media coverage and social media comments.”

South Carolina authorities have yet to say how the Samarel family died. (FOX Carolina)

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“Rather than [piecemeal] answers to follow-up questions from individual media outlets, more detail will be provided in a subsequent release,” the sheriff’s office said, but the agency has not released any new information as of March 28.

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Richard Samarel’s Facebook page states that the family is originally from New Jersey, and he previously worked as a manager for Bloomberg LP. Lina Samarel was originally from Colombia and worked as a therapist. 

Rick and Lina Samarel had three children. (Facebook)

Lina Samarel’s professional biography states that she was “a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner and a family nurse practitioner” who is “experienced in a variety of healthcare settings, including outpatient psychiatry for adults and adolescents with mental illness and health and wellness services.” Her Facebook profile said she previously worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

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The couple’s respective obituaries were posted on Tuesday. 

The Samarel family’s neighbor described the area as “middle-class” and the Samarels as “generally nice people.” (Facebook)

Lina’s and Samantha’s joint obituary describes Lina as “a beacon of light in the lives of all who knew her, embodying the virtues of love, kindness, and selflessness throughout her journey on earth.”

“Lina was a portrait of health and beauty, both inside and out. She dedicated herself to living a healthy lifestyle and had a special appreciation for all things beauty. Her pure heart and honesty were the hallmarks of her character, and she approached every aspect of her life with integrity,” the obituary says.

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“Above all, Lina cherished the time spent with her family and friends. Her presence was a source of comfort and happiness, and her absence will be deeply felt by the many relatives and friends who were fortunate to be part of her life.”

Lina and Samantha Samarel’s joint obituary describes Lina as “a beacon of light in the lives of all who knew her, embodying the virtues of love, kindness, and selflessness throughout her journey on earth.” (Facebook/ Lina Samarel)

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The obituary said Samantha’s “kind spirit and loving nature touched the lives of all who knew her.”

“Her warmth and kindness will be deeply missed by her many family members and friends, whose lives she brightened with her gentle soul,” the obituary reads.

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The Samarels lived in a stately home in Greer, South Carolina. (Google Maps)

Rick’s obituary says he “lovingly shared … his passion for soccer, chess and family outings” with his wife and three children.

“Rick was well-respected and liked by his friends and fellow colleagues and his keen sense of humor was appreciated by everyone who knew him,” the obituary says.

The coroner’s office and sheriff’s office are investigating the case.

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Charlotte residents say they feel less safe as city faces second transit stabbing

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Charlotte residents say they feel less safe as city faces second transit stabbing

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Two in three Charlotte, North Carolina, residents say they feel less safe today than they did a year ago, according to a recent survey, as the city reels from two train stabbings.

More than 930 people responded to a survey that the Queen City recently completed before hiring its new police chief, Stella Patterson. Residents overwhelmingly said they want a proactive police force, not a reactive one, with 66% saying they feel less safe.

The results come as Charlotte contends with another stabbing on its light rail system, months after the stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska.

On Friday, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) officers responded to a call regarding assault with a deadly weapon. When they arrived, they found the victim, identified as Kenyon Kareem-Shemar Dobie, with a stab wound, according to warrants.

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Oscar Solorzano, 33, was arrested in connection to a stabbing on a Charlotte, North Carolina light rail. (Mecklenburg County Jail)

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Oscar Gerardo Solorzano-Garcia, 33, of Honduras, was arrested after the stabbing and charged with attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with serious injury, breaking/entering a motor vehicle, carrying a concealed weapon and intoxicated/disruptive behavior, according to multiple Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sources and arrest warrants obtained by Fox News Digital. 

On Monday morning, Solorzano appeared in court, where he was denied bond. The 33-year-old appeared via Zoom in an orange jumpsuit where he was charged. Authorities revealed that Solorzano, prior to the Dec. 5 attack, was banned by Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS).

CMPD noted Dobie was in critical but stable condition when he was taken to a hospital.

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The victim told WRAL News that he saw Solorzano yelling at an older woman before Solorzano handed his bike to another passenger and said: “I’m about to show you who I really am.”

“I wasn’t trying to be a macho man,” Dobie said in a TikTok post from his hospital room. “But what I won’t allow is you to attack random people for no reason, especially the elderly.”

Dobie said he jumped up and told Solorzano to leave everyone alone. He said Solarzano then grabbed his hands and stabbed him as he tried to grab him back.

Police in North Carolina have charged a 33-year-old man from Honduras with critically injuring another person in a stabbing on a Charlotte commuter train, just a few months after a Ukrainian refugee was murdered. (WJZY)

According to court documents, reviewed by Fox News Digital, Solorzano broke into a railroad car “with the intent to commit a felony,” while carrying a large fixed-blade knife.

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While intoxicated, he challenged Dobie to a fight, cursing and shouting at others using “unintelligible and slurred words,” according to court documents.

He was booted from the country by the Trump administration in March 2018 on a deportation order and reentered illegally during the Biden administration at the Texas border in March 2021, DHS sources said.

WATCH: Migrant who was deported twice accused of Charlotte light rail stabbing

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Solorzano was deported a second time by the Biden administration and reentered illegally as a got-away at an unknown time and location.

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Solorzano has a prior conviction for robbery in the U.S. and prior arrests for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest and false ID, DHS sources said.

Court records indicate he had known aliases, including Solorzano-Garcia, Oscar Herardo and Kevin Garcia.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks alongside a photo of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, who was allegedly killed by Decarlos Brown Jr., on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the White House, Sept. 9, 2025. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

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The stabbing attack comes months after Zarutska, 23, was fatally stabbed on a LYNX Blue Line light rail while on her way home from work from a local pizzeria shop.

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Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, who is accused of killing Zarutska, was charged with violence against a railroad carrier and mass transportation system resulting in death, a capital offense under federal law.

Brown had a history of violent crime, including assaults and robberies, and had also been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Yet he was still free and walking the streets.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the city of Charlotte and the CMPD for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Alexander Koch and Fox News’ Bill Melugin and Chelsea Torres contributed to this report.

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Murdaugh trial court clerk pleads guilty to showing sealed crime scene photos to photographer

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Murdaugh trial court clerk pleads guilty to showing sealed crime scene photos to photographer

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A former South Carolina court clerk pleaded guilty Monday in connection with showing sealed court exhibits related to the murder trial of disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh to a photographer and lying about it in court.

Mary Rebecca “Becky” Hill, who served as the court clerk in Colleton County, pleaded guilty to four charges — obstruction of justice and perjury for showing a reporter photographs that were sealed court exhibits and then lying about it, plus two counts of misconduct in office for taking bonuses and promoting a book she wrote on the trial through her public office. 

“There is no excuse for the mistakes I made. I’m ashamed of them and will carry that shame the rest of my life,” Hill said in a statement read to the court.

She was sentenced to three years of probation.

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Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill is sworn in before taking the stand to testify during the Alex Murdaugh jury-tampering hearing at the Richland County Judicial Center, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024, in Columbia, S.C. (AP)

Her sentence would have been much harsher had evidence surfaced that she tampered with the murder trial, Judge Heath Taylor told Hill. 

During Murdaugjh’s murder trial, Hill was responsible for taking care of the jury, overseeing exhibits and assisting the judge. Murdaugh was eventually convicted of murdering his wife and son after a six-week trial, which drew nationwide attention.

Murdaugh’s lawyers said Hill tried to influence jurors to vote guilty and that she was biased against Murdaugh because of her book.

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Former Colleton County Clerk of Court Mary Rebecca “Becky” Hill smiles after pleading guilty on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in St. Matthews, S.C. Hill pleaded guilty Monday to showing sealed exhibits from Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial and other charges. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

Solicitor Rick Hubbard told the judge that a journalist informed investigators that Hill showed graphic crime scene photos to several media members.

He did not name the journalist.

The photos were posted online, and the metadata from the images matched a time when Hill’s courthouse key card indicated she was inside the locked room where the photos were kept, Hubbard said.

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Former Colleton County Clerk of Court Mary Rebecca “Becky” Hill is sworn in during a court hearing on Monday in St. Matthews, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

Hill resigned in March 2024. One of the charges against her stemmed from money prosecutors said she took for herself. She brought a check to court on Monday to repay nearly $10,000.

Journalist Neil Gordon who worked with Hill on “Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders” and previously accused her of plagiarism, commented on Hill’s plea to Fox News Digital.

Former Colleton County Clerk of Court Mary Rebecca “Becky” Hill pleaded guilty Monday to showing sealed exhibits from disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial and other charges. (Fox Nation/ Tracy Glantz/The State via AP, Pool)

“I appreciate seeing Becky step up and take responsibility for her actions, including the charge of misconduct in office, as it was directly related to the book I co-authored with her,” he said in a statement. “The specific instance was her decision to arrange a “Facebook Live” from her clerk’s office with the Colleton County Chamber of Commerce solely to promote our book.”

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“The fact that it occurred during the workday showed boldness, poor judgement, and frankly ignorance of the oath she took as an elected official.,” he added. “Sadly, poor judgement around our book had been a pattern for Becky, as we later learned she plagiarized its preface.”

Meanwhile, Murdaugh is also serving a prison sentence for stealing money from his family’s law firm and client settlements.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Murdaugh’s attorney.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Florida designates Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as foreign terrorist organizations, DeSantis says

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Florida designates Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as foreign terrorist organizations, DeSantis says

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Florida is designating the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as foreign terrorist organizations, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday. 

The move mirrors a similar action taken by Texas in which Gov. Greg Abbott designated the CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations.

“Florida agencies are hereby directed to undertake all lawful measures to prevent unlawful activities by these organizations, including denying privileges or resources to anyone providing material support,” DeSantis wrote on X. 

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantissaid CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood will be designated as foreign terrorist organizations.  (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

The governor’s order said the Muslim Brotherhood has long engaged in and supported violence, political assassinations and terror attacks on civilians with the intent of establishing a worldwide Islamic caliphate. 

It also said the group, as well as Hamas have active fundraising arms in the United States. 

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The order said CAIR, which was created to challenge stereotypes against Islam and Muslims, has had individuals associated with it that have been convicted of providing and aspiring to provide material support to foreign terrorist organizations. 

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In a post on X, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said: “Great news! Thanks for this important Executive Order, Governor. We are ready to support!”

A joint statement by CAIR and its Florida chapter said the DeSantis administration has prioritized serving their interest of the Israeli government over the people of the state. 

“He diverted millions in Florida taxpayer dollars to the Israeli government’s bonds. He threatened to shut down every Florida college’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter, only to back off when CAIR sued him in federal court,” the statement said. “Like Greg Abbott in Texas, Ron DeSantis is an Israel First politician who wants to smear and silence Americans, especially American Muslims, critical of U.S. support for Israel’s war crimes. Governor DeSantis knows full well that CAIR-Florida is an American civil rights organization that has spent decades advancing free speech, religious freedom, and justice for all, including for the Palestinian people. That’s precisely why Governor DeSantis is targeting our civil rights group with this unconstitutional and defamatory proclamation.

“We look forward to defeating Governor DeSantis’ latest Israel First stunt in a court of law, where facts matter and conspiracy theories have no weight,” the groups added. “In the meantime, we encourage all Floridians and all Americans to speak up against this latest attempt to shred the Constitution for the benefit of a foreign government.”

Florida’s designation is at the state level. It doesn’t carry the legal force of a federal Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) listing, which only the U.S. State Department can issue. 

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In Texas, Muslim and interfaith leaders have demanded that Abott reverse his proclamation regarding CAIR. In a lawsuit against Texas over the governor’s declaration, CAIR argued that it violates both the U.S. Constitution and state law.

Texas Gov. Greg Abott designated CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, as a foreign terrorist organization.  (Getty Images)

The order violates its First Amendment rights and due-process protections, CAIR said, arguing that the state overstepped its authority because terrorism designations fall under federal, not state, jurisdiction.

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