Judge Goodstein's Edisto Home Destroyed; No Evidence of Arson

A massive weekend fire destroyed the Edisto Island beachfront home of South Carolina Circuit Judge Diane Goodstein and her husband, former state Sen. Arnold Goodstein, leaving three people hospitalized and the property reduced to charred rubble. Occupants escaped by jumping from the elevated first floor into the marsh and several were rescued by kayak; one person was airlifted to the Medical University of South Carolina and Arnold Goodstein suffered multiple broken bones. Goodstein was not at the home during the blaze and has said she is "alright." The State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is leading an active investigation and in a preliminary update said it found no evidence the fire was intentionally set or that there was a pre-fire explosion, though the probe is ongoing. The blaze drew attention because Goodstein last month temporarily blocked the state from releasing voter data to the U.S. Department of Justice — a ruling that was later overturned — and she had reportedly received death threats, prompting public speculation. South Carolina’s judicial branch requested extra patrols, stressed respect for the family’s privacy, and said it will defer further comment until SLED concludes its work.