Sean and Monica Williams, a Black couple from Charlotte, experienced a racially motivated incident at their Conway, South Carolina vacation home. A neighbor dispute involving racial slurs escalated to a cross being burned in their yard.
The couple’s home is located on Corbett Drive in Conway.
FBI investigating cross burning at Charlotte couple's retirement home in South Carolina https://t.co/RdihhQQoCT
— WCNC Charlotte (@wcnc) December 20, 2023
Authorities have now charged Alexis Paige Hartnett and Worden Evander Butler with second-degree harassment for the cross-burning incident.
The charges include accusations of erecting and igniting the cross and using racially threatening language against their Black neighbors.
🚨 FBI Investigates Cross Burning by White Couple in South Carolina
The FBI probes a white couple in South Carolina for racially motivated cross burning targeting their Black neighbors. @ABC.
Click link below for story👇https://t.co/RFzSpCrEw9 pic.twitter.com/afC389azb6
— The Intellectualist (@highbrow_nobrow) December 21, 2023
During an FBI investigation, Hartnett and Butler were seen outside their home and were later taken away by authorities. They were not arrested at that time.
The FBI has urged anyone facing hate crimes or discrimination to contact them at 800-CALL-FBI or through their online tip portal at tips.fbi.gov.