Horry County cross-burning suspect to appear in Myrtle Beach court next month
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — One of the suspects in a November cross-burning in the Conway area is set to appear in court next month, the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office said Thursday.
Worden Butler, who faces a second-degree harassment charge, is set to appear in Myrtle Beach Magistrate Court on May 14. The trial date for his girlfriend Alexis Hartnett, who also faces a second-degree harassment charge, is unknown.
Court records showed they were originally set to appear in Conway Magistrate Court. Butler in January had requested a jury trial.
The charges stem from multiple incidents between Nov. 23 and Nov. 24 on Corbett Drive, according to an Horry County police report. During one of the incidents, Butler and Hartnett, who are white, erected a cross facing the Black victim’s home and set it on fire.
The Nov. 24 cross-burning has drawn national attention and prompted a new round of calls by state lawmakers and the NAACP for adoption of a hate crimes law.
The property where the cross-burning happened was shuttered earlier this month after a judge signed a temporary injunction.
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Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.
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