A TRAGIC OUTCOME: MOTHER CHARGED AFTER TWO YOUNG GIRLS FOUND DEAD IN SOUTH CAROLINA

A heartbreaking investigation is underway in Charleston County, South Carolina, after two young girls were found dead inside their Ladson home. Authorities have arrested and charged their 31-year-old mother, Justine Marie May, with two counts of homicide by child abuse.

Deputies responded to the residence on Pinewood Drive shortly after 1 p.m. on September 29 for a welfare check. Upon arrival, officers encountered May outside in an incoherent state. Inside the home, deputies discovered the two children, both beyond the reach of lifesaving measures. While official sources have not formally released their names, family members identified the toddlers as Emory and Harlow, both under three years old.

According to court affidavits, May informed investigators she had been in a blur for approximately two weeks and could not recall when she last provided her children with food or water. She allegedly acknowledged that the girls likely died from starvation while under her sole care. May was booked into the Al Cannon Detention Center and remains in custody following a bond waiver.

The incident has raised significant questions regarding prior warning signs and intervention attempts. Records indicate the children’s father, Zachary Deacon, was arrested on September 12 for harassment after repeatedly driving by the residence following a call to a mobile crisis line, resulting in a court-ordered no-contact mandate. Additionally, social media posts from relatives prior to the discovery suggested growing concerns over potential neglect.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) child-fatality unit and the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.