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Legal battle over social media post of seashells heading to a eastern North Carolina courtroom

The legal battle over a social media post of seashells is heading to a eastern North Carolina courtroom.

Former FBI Director James Comey is scheduled to make his initial appearance on May 11th in Greenville, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kimberly Swank. This follows his brief appearance in Virginia this week, where he surrendered to authorities but was released without conditions.

The case centers on a deleted Instagram photo of shells arranged to form the numbers "86 47"—which the Justice Department argues is a coded death threat against President Trump.

Comey, who owns a home in Emerald Isle, maintains the numbers were a political message he removed once he realized they were being misinterpreted.

His legal team has already signaled they plan to fight the felony charges, calling the prosecution "selective and vindictive".

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Annette is an award-winning journalist based in Eastern North Carolina. Her career includes professional stops across the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and Southeast, recently culminating in a 2026 Region 8 Edward R. Murrow Award for Small Market Radio Best News Series for her work on the Camp Lejeune Justice Act Series. Guided by a passion for human-interest storytelling, she focuses on narratives that touch hearts and connect communities. A mother of four and grandmother of two, Annette enjoys reading and creating epic Halloween costumes in her spare time. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.