A South Carolina couple was arrested for allegedly burning a cross in front of a neighbor’s home during Thanksgiving — the latest in what the homeowners call a pattern of racially motivated harassment and threatening behavior that left them fear for their safety in the community.
Worden Butler, 28, and Alexis Hartnett, 27, were arrested Nov. 30 after the Black owners contacted the Horry County Police Department to report allegations of ongoing harassment, racial taunting and harassment of the from their next-door neighbors, according to local media. WPDE reported.
Butler and Hartnett were charged with second-degree harassment, and Harnett was hit with an additional charge of third-degree assault and battery.
Both were released on bail the following day.
“They were out the next day,” Monica Williams said. WLBT. “So what should we do?” Live next door to a hot-button racist who threatened to cause us bodily harm. We believe there are not enough laws in place to address this issue.
Monica and Shawn Williams told the station they moved to Conway two years ago and claimed that since then their neighbors have made their lives a nightmare.
But the burning cross was the final straw for the couple.
“There was a burning cross about eight feet from our fence,” Monica Williams said. “We were speechless because we had never experienced anything like that.”
According to police reportobtained by WPDE, the night before the cross burning, Butler entered the Williams home and began arguing with Monica Williams about work being done on the house.
Butler then allegedly began making racist slurs about her being black and called her “crazy.”
Monica Williams said the horrific incidents of harassment continued non-stop.
“He’s blatant with the ‘N-word,'” Monica Williams told WLBT. “He chased away our surveyors. He kicked people out of the water and sewer department.”
Eventually, the Williamses installed a privacy fence.
The night after Butler allegedly harassed Monica Williams at her home, he and Hartnett allegedly erected the cross and set it on fire so the Williamses could view it over their fence.
THE arrest warrant alleges that Hartnett once threatened the victims with bodily harm and talked about “having killed a black person in the past.”
Butler and Hartnett are awaiting trial.
