Authorities are investigating how a massive beachfront home of one of the country’s top judges suddenly burned down over the weekend.
According the local Charleston, SC outlet Post and Courier, South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Diana Goodstein’s Edisto Beach home went up in flames around midday Saturday, sending huge plumes of black smoke into the air and forcing her husband, former state Sen. Arnold Goodstein (D-Charleston), to jump from the first floor to escape the blaze.
Edisto Beach is located one hour outside of Charleston.
Arnold Goodstein, along with two additional occupants, were rescued by several neighbors and paramedics from a marshy, remote area behind the three-story home, according to local Edisto Beach resident Tom Peterson who spoke to the media.
The individuals were reached by emergency workers in kayaks, according to the St. Paul’s Fire District who responded to the scene.
One person was air-evacuated to the Medical University of South Carolina, and the other two occupants, who have not yet been identified, were brought to the Medical University of South Carolina on the ground, according to Capt. KC Campbell with Colleton County Fire Rescue.
Sources close to Goodstein’s family confirmed Arnold was airlifted after breaking multiple bones in his hips, legs and feet after escaping from the four-bedroom, four-bathroom home.
According to reports, Diana Goodstein was not home during the fire.
Residents say she had been walking on a beach with her dogs when the flames consumed the home.
According to a message sent on Saturday afternoon from South Carolina 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.
The South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is now investigating how exactly the fire took place.
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.
However, multiple sources close to Goodstein told FITSNews she 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 the media.
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 South Carolina’s voter file.
Goodstein, a 69-year-old South Carolina native, was elected by the South Carolina General Assembly to be a resident judge of the state’s first judicial circuit in 1998.
She has served continuously on the bench ever since, according to her biography.
Her husband, Arnold, served in the House and the South Carolina Senate in the 1970s, according to public records. He was a Democrat representing Charleston County.
This is an ongoing story and investigation. Check back for further updates.