“PLEASE LET US SEE THE GIRLS” — FRANTIC MESSAGES REVEALED BEFORE TWO LITTLE SISTERS WERE FOUND DEAD

In the weeks before 2-year-old Emory Deacon and 15-month-old Harlow Deacon were found dead inside their South Carolina home, relatives were desperately trying to reach their mother.

Texts and emails later shared publicly showed growing concern from family members who repeatedly asked to see the little girls and urged their mother, 31-year-old Justine May, to accept help.

Now, those messages are providing a heartbreaking look at the concerns that surrounded the family before the children were discovered.

FAMILY HAD BEEN TRYING TO REACH THE GIRLS

According to screenshots May shared on social media, her mother had become increasingly worried after being unable to see her granddaughters.

In one message posted Sept. 13, May’s mother said she had not seen Emory and Harlow since Aug. 14 and questioned why she had been prevented from seeing them.

Her messages repeatedly focused on the children and their need for contact with their father, grandparents, aunts and uncles.

Other relatives also reached out, urging May to allow them to see the girls and expressing fears about their wellbeing.

THE CHILDREN’S FATHER ALSO PLEADED FOR HELP

Messages attributed to the girls’ father, identified in the PEOPLE report as Zack, showed that he was also deeply concerned.

In one text, he begged May to seek help and told her that her behavior was becoming increasingly concerning.

He reminded her that she was the mother of Emory and Harlow and urged her to reconnect with the people around her.

The messages were shared by May herself, who presented them as part of her account of the conflict with relatives.

Because the messages were presented through social-media screenshots, they represent the participants’ own communications and should be understood in that context.

 RELATIVES HAD RAISED CONCERNS BEFORE THE DISCOVERY

According to court records and local reporting, concerns about the family had gone beyond private conversations.

Multiple relatives reportedly contacted law enforcement and the Department of Social Services during the month before the children’s deaths.

Sheriff’s deputies also conducted 13 welfare checks at the residence in the weeks leading up to the discovery. The most recent check before the deaths was on Sept. 20.

Authorities said that during those earlier visits, deputies did not observe signs that raised immediate concern.

 THE TWO GIRLS WERE FOUND ON SEPTEMBER 29

On Sept. 29, deputies returned to the home in Ladson to conduct another welfare check.

Inside, they found Emory and Harlow deceased.

The Charleston County Coroner’s Office later identified the children as Emory Deacon, 2, and Harlow Deacon, 15 months.

Their mother was subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of homicide by child abuse.

 WHAT JUSTINE MAY ALLEGEDLY TOLD POLICE

According to an affidavit cited by PEOPLE, May was reportedly speaking incoherently when officers encountered her outside the home.

She allegedly told investigators that she had been in a “blur” for about two weeks and could not remember how many days had passed since she had fed her children.

Authorities say she indicated that a lack of food may have contributed to the children’s deaths.

Those statements are allegations contained in investigative records, not findings established at trial. May remains entitled to the presumption of innocence.

 A FAMILY’S FEARS BECAME A TRAGIC REALITY

The messages now being examined paint a picture of relatives who were becoming increasingly desperate to make contact with two very young children.

They asked to see the girls.

They urged their mother to accept help.

And they repeatedly expressed concern about the children being isolated from the rest of their family.

Yet despite the previous welfare checks and the concerns raised by relatives, Emory and Harlow were ultimately found dead inside the home.

The investigation and court proceedings will now determine what happened to the sisters and whether additional facts emerge about the circumstances leading up to their deaths.

REMEMBERING EMORY AND HARLOW

Emory was only 2 years old.

Harlow was just 15 months old.

Their short lives have now become the center of an investigation that has raised difficult questions about family isolation, welfare checks and whether earlier warning signs could have led to a different outcome.

Justine May’s next court appearance is scheduled for November, according to PEOPLE. The case remains ongoing.

Emory and Harlow were two little sisters who should have had their whole lives ahead of them.