Estate Jewelry in Ladson, SC

LADSON, S.C. (WCSC) — The Charleston County Coroner’s Office has identified the two children found dead in a Ladson home on Tuesday.

Charleston County Coroner Bobbi Jo O’Neal says that Emory Deacon, a 2-year-old female, and Harlow Deacon, a 15-month-old female, were found dead during a welfare check in the 3200 block of Pinewood Drive.

The cause of death for both children is starvation and dehydration due to neglect. The manner of death for both children is homicide.

“We believe these deaths could and should have been prevented,” said Gedney M. Howe IV, attorney for the girls’ father, Zack Deacon, in a statement to Live 5 News. “Neighbors, friends, and family all called trying to get help for these girls, and no one listened. Zack was sounding the alarm and was arrested for it. Seeking justice for Emory and Harlow is the most important thing to this family.”

Justine May, 31, who deputies described as the children’s “primary caregiver,” has since been charged with two counts of homicide by child abuse in the case, which the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office called “the most difficult call any department could face.”

According to a statement from the department, deputies have responded to numerous calls at the Pinewood Drive home since August.

The calls included welfare checks and visits coordinated with the South Carolina Department of Social Services and the South Carolina Department of Mental Health Mobile Crisis Unit.

Authorities said deputies made contact with May and the children twice in August and three times in September, noting they observed no signs of concern during those visits.

Between Aug. 10 and Tuesday, calls regarding the residence resulted in CCSO responding 13 times.

Those responses included accompanying DSS on one visit and the Mental Health Mobile Crisis Unit on another.

The sheriff’s office said its most recent visit before the children were found occurred on Sept. 20, when deputies made contact only with May.

From dispatch logs obtained by Live 5 News, there was a verbal domestic call on Aug. 10, a “keep the peace” call on Aug. 11, a welfare check on Aug. 25, a follow-up on Aug. 27, and then another verbal domestic call 5 hours later that day.

There was also an “urgent” welfare check on Sept. 9, a welfare check on Sept. 22, and a follow-up Tuesday.

Just after 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, deputies and a DSS caseworker returned to the home for another welfare check.

When they arrived, May exited the house. Upon entering to check on the two children, officials found them dead inside.

The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office of Professional Standards is conducting an internal review of the response.

The South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division’s Special Victims Unit Department of Child Fatalities is assisting in the investigation.

LADSON, S.C. (WCSC/Gray News) — New documents are providing insight into the month leading up to the deaths of two toddlers in South Carolina.

Two-year-old Emory and 1-year-old Harlow Deacon were found starved to death last week at their Ladson home. Their mother, 31-year-old Justine May, was arrested and charged with two counts of homicide by child abuse.

Zachary Deacon—the father of Emory and Harlow—told deputies the writing was on the wall a month before they were found dead.

WCSC has received copies of five additional reports between Aug. 10 and Sept. 29 detailing the calls for concern Deacon made that ultimately led to his arrest.

According to reports, Deacon and May had just ended their eight-year relationship at the beginning of August. The pair had been engaged for the last five of those years and lived together with their two children.

Deputies were called out for a domestic disturbance on Aug. 10.

May accused Deacon of trying to block her car from leaving while Deacon told deputies she was having a mental health episode. No evidence of a mental health crisis was found, according to the reports.

More than two weeks later, Deacon called deputies to do a welfare check, telling them May had been acting unusually and had stopped communicating with family.

He said he discovered disturbing writing on the wall the last time he watched the children days earlier. May told deputies it was Deacon who wrote the disturbing message on the wall. The message itself is redacted from the incident reports.

Authorities found the kids asleep and—again—no evidence of mental health problems.

On Sept. 11, deputies were called again, this time by May’s mother, reporting a mental health crisis in progress. Deputies and the Department of Social Services went to the home and found it clean, the kids happy and “well-fed.”

May then presented deputies with call logs, text messages and screenshots showing Deacon consistently reaching out to her.

Deacon’s messages accused her of “spiraling,” and he told her to “get a grip on reality.” She said Deacon would occasionally patrol the neighborhood as well.

Deputies determined that was enough to issue an arrest warrant for harassment. The next day they met with Deacon and arrested him.

That was Sept. 12, the last day the sheriff’s office said they saw the kids alive.

At some point, deputies were instructed to no longer do welfare checks at May’s home, but they were out there several times between the 12th and the 29th when the kids were discovered.

LADSON, S.C. (WCSC/Gray News) — A homeowner in South Carolina is facing charges after authorities say two children were found dead at the home on Tuesday.

Justine May, 31, was booked into the Charleston County jail on two counts of homicide by child neglect, court records showed.

May will remain in custody after waiving her right to a bond hearing on Wednesday. She is scheduled for an initial court appearance Nov. 20.

Charleston County authorities said they were called to the home on Pinewood Drive for a welfare check Tuesday afternoon when they found the two children dead inside.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Department of Child Fatalities and the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office are both investigating.

May’s ex-boyfriend, Zachary Deacon, also found himself in custody recently after being arrested on Sept. 11. The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded that day to the same home regarding a reported mental health crisis.

Deacon’s charges include harassment in the second degree after May alleged that Deacon continued to contact her after prior domestic violence.

Family members of May said they had called law enforcement within the last month regarding the well-being of May and the children who were in her care.

Documents stated that Deacon had previously called May delusional, spiraling and in need of getting a grip on reality while referencing involvement with social services.

On Sept. 13, May herself posted on social media screenshots of concerned text messages and emails allegedly from family, with an email specifically expressing concerns about her parenting.

Deacon has since been released on bond, but a judge has ordered him not to have contact with May or the children as a condition of his release.

The Charleston County Coroner’s Office did not immediately release the cause of death for the two children, as investigators said the case remains under investigation.

LADSON, S.C. (WCSC) — The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office has released a statement regarding the deaths of two children that resulted in the arrest of their mother.

Below is the full statement from the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office:

“There have been questions regarding radio transmissions involving Charleston County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) deputies responding to calls at a residence on Pinewood Drive.

Sheriff Carl Ritchie and the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office stand firmly behind our deputy. The audio record confirms that the deputy followed supervisory direction, acted within the law, and adhered to established policies and professional standards at all times.

Since August 10, 2026, the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office received 21 calls concerning the Pinewood Drive residence, resulting in deputies responding to the location on 13 separate occasions. Those responses included welfare checks, follow-up calls, supervisory review, coordination with other agencies, and continued assessment of the circumstances presented to responding personnel.

Documented responses and contacts occurred throughout August and September, including August 10, August 11, August 25, August 26, August 27, September 8, September 9, September 11, September 12, September 20, September 22, and ultimately September 29. Some dates involved more than one call, response, or follow-up.

During several of these contacts, deputies personally interacted with the mother and children, and other agencies participated in the assessment process.

During the prior responses, deputies and participating agency personnel did not report observations indicating an immediate concern for the children’s welfare.

Our personnel responded to repeated calls for service, conducted appropriate assessments and welfare checks, consulted supervisory personnel, and coordinated with the South Carolina Department of Social Services and other agencies. Family members were treated professionally and respectfully and were provided information regarding the appropriate legal avenues available to them.

On September 29, following additional concerns reported to CCSO, the deputy referenced in the radio transmissions contacted DSS and requested that DSS accompany deputies to the residence. Deputies also canvassed the surrounding area before returning to the home with DSS personnel.

After contact was made with the mother, DSS requested to see the children and was permitted inside the residence. It was during that response that the children were discovered.

The record reflects an extensive history of response to this residence, not an absence of response. Across multiple calls and visits, CCSO personnel continued to respond, assess the circumstances presented to them, consult supervisors, communicate with concerned family members, and coordinate with partner agencies as additional information became available.

The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office recognizes the profound gravity of this tragedy and extends its deepest condolences to everyone affected. We remain steadfast in our commitment to professional, lawful, and accountable service to this community."

Justine Marie May, 31, of Ladson, is facing two charges of homicide by child abuse.

Charleston County Coroner Bobbi Jo O’Neal said that Emory Deacon, a 2-year-old girl, and Harlow Deacon, a 15-month-old girl, were found dead Tuesday during a welfare check in the 3200 block of Pinewood Drive.

The cause of death for both children is starvation and dehydration due to neglect. The manner of death for both children is homicide.

Affidavits have now revealed the events that led up to the discovery of Emory and Harlow’s bodies.

The documents state that deputies responded to the home for a welfare check; at the scene, May reportedly came out of the home, crying and speaking “incoherently” to deputies.

Knowing from previous welfare checks that May was usually caring for her two young daughters, deputies entered the home in order to ensure their safety.

However, once they went inside, Emory and Harlow were both found “obviously” dead, and no lifesaving measures could be taken.

The affidavits state that, after being read her Miranda rights, May told detectives that she had spent the previous two weeks in a “blur,” saying she could not remember the last time she fed Emory and Harlow or gave them anything to drink.

She told detectives at the time, documents state, that she believed her children were dead because they did not eat. May reportedly told deputies that she knew that not feeding her children was neglectful and confirmed she had been the only one present at home and was the sole caregiver for the girls over the last few weeks.

“The defendant unequivocally demonstrated an extreme indifference for human life in that she failed to provide both of her own children, according to her, with the basic sustenance to maintain life thus being a main contributor to their death,” the affidavit states.

The 911 Call

A woman called 911 Tuesday morning asking deputies to conduct a welfare check on two young girls at a Ladson home, telling a dispatcher the children had not been seen, and their mother was acting differently.

Hours later, deputies went inside the home and found the two children dead.

The call came in after the woman said she saw May walking several houses away from her home on Pinewood Drive without her two children.

“I’m just concerned because she didn’t have her kids, and nobody has seen her kids,” the caller told the Charleston County 911 dispatcher.

The caller said May would normally have her children with her wherever she went.

“She was walking down the road today, and she didn’t have her babies, and that’s not like her,” the caller said.

The woman asked that someone check on the children.

“I would like for someone to at least lay eyes on them just because last I’ve heard that they’re always napping,” she told the dispatcher.

The caller also expressed concern about May’s behavior and asked that her identity not be disclosed because she did not want to make May angry.

“I don’t know what her state is,” the caller said.

May remains booked into the Al Cannon Detention Center, where she is being held without bond. Since being brought into custody, an initial and second appearance have both been scheduled, according to court records, on Nov. 20 of this year and March 19 of next year, respectively.

Source: Warren LeMay / Wikimedia Commons

Deputies responding to a welfare check at a home in the 3200 block of Pinewood Drive in Ladson found two people dead inside on Tuesday, and a 31-year-old woman was taken into custody in connection with their deaths. Justine Marie May now faces two counts tied to their deaths, though local outlets have described the exact charge differently.

The Charleston County Sheriff's Office said deputies were sent to the home for a welfare check and discovered the two bodies there, according to postandcourier.com. That outlet reported May was charged with two counts of homicide by child abuse, while WYFF reported the charges as two counts of homicide by child neglect. May was booked into the Charleston County jail at 6:49 p.m. Tuesday, per court records cited by the Post and Courier.

Court records reviewed by abcnews4.com confirm law enforcement took May into custody on Tuesday. The station reported that May waived her bond appearance on Wednesday, with an initial court appearance currently scheduled for Nov. 20.

The Charleston County Coroner's Office had not released the names or ages of the people found dead, abcnews4.com reported. Live5News reported that the coroner had not yet confirmed the ages, identities or cause of death of the victims, though the charges themselves indicate the victims were children.

An affidavit-based report from fitsnews.com said the two victims were young girls, approximately 18 months and two-and-a-half years old. That report did not reference autopsy findings or an official medical determination of either child's cause of death.

According to the same affidavit-based account, May could not remember the last time she fed her children or gave them something to drink during the two weeks before they were found. Investigators alleged that her failure to provide the children with basic sustenance contributed to their deaths, per the fitsnews.com report.

The Charleston County Sheriff's Office said there was no danger to the public at large following the discovery, according to the Post and Courier's reporting. No further details about the circumstances leading up to the welfare check have been released.

Under South Carolina law, a person is guilty of homicide by child abuse if they cause the death of a child under 11 while committing child abuse or neglect, and the death occurs under circumstances showing extreme indifference to human life, according to the South Carolina Code of Laws. The statute also covers someone who knowingly aids or abets another person in such a death.

Statewide, South Carolina's Department of Children's Advocacy investigated 328 total child fatalities and opened 326 child-fatality cases in 2024, with two of those cases involving multiple deaths classified under a single case number, according to a report from sled.sc.gov. May's case remains in its earliest stages, with the coroner's identification and cause-of-death findings still pending.