Articles by Jeffrey Collins

SC’s Top Officer: No Details on 2012 Hack That Forced $12M in Cyber Insurance

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Twelve years after a hacker stole personal data from more than 3.6 million people in South Carolina by obtaining Social Security numbers and credit card information from tax returns, the state’s top police officer said Wednesday …

Murdaugh Sentenced to 40 Years for Stealing Insurance, Other Funds from Clients, Firm

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — For maybe the last time, Alex Murdaugh, in a prison jumpsuit instead of the suit he used to wear, shuffled into a courtroom Monday in South Carolina and was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison. …

FBI: Murdaugh Lied About Where Stolen Money Went and Who Helped Him Steal

Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh didn’t tell the truth when FBI agents repeatedly asked him where more than $6 million he stole ended up and whether another attorney not yet identified helped him steal from clients and his law firm, federal …

Murdaugh Denied New Trial After Judge Hears Jury-Tampering Claims

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina judge on Monday denied Alex Murdaugh’s bid for a new trial after his defense team accused a clerk of court of tampering with a jury. Judge Jean Toal said she wasn’t sure if …

South Carolina Education Chief Wants Police to Have Maps of Schools for Response

GILBERT, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina’s top education official plans to ask lawmakers for $5 million to put a digital map of every school in the state online and make those maps immediately available on police officers’ mobile devices as …

South Carolina Grand Jury Adds Tax Evasion to Murdaugh Charges

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Alex Murdaugh, the disgraced attorney accused of killing his wife and son, was indicted Friday by a grand jury in South Carolina on nine counts of tax evasion, adding to the slew of charges he faces …

Federal Judge Overturns South Carolina School Mask Ban; Dept. of Education to Comply

A federal judge Tuesday suspended South Carolina from enforcing a rule that banned school districts from requiring masks for students. Parents of disabled children, helped by the American Civil Liberties Union, sued the state saying the ban discriminated against medically …

South Carolina Lawyer Who Arranged Own Death Turns Himself in on Insurance Fraud

A prominent South Carolina lawyer who found the bodies of his wife and son three months ago plans to turn himself in to face charges in a plot to arrange his own death that ended with the shooter only grazing …

South Carolina Supreme Court to Hear Pair of Mask Mandate Lawsuits

South Carolina’s highest court will hear two challenges to the state’s refusal to let school districts require masks for students and teachers this week. The state Supreme Court has set aside two hours to hear the cases Tuesday. South Carolina …

Tennessee Rescue Search Continues After Historic Flooding

At least 22 people were killed and rescue crews searched desperately amid shattered homes and tangled debris for dozens of people still missing after record-breaking rain sent floodwaters surging through Middle Tennessee. Saturday’s flooding in rural areas took out roads, …