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Toddlers Starve in Neglect Case: Mom Charged
3 Oct
Summary
- Two young girls died from starvation and dehydration due to neglect.
- Deputies visited the home 13 times since Aug. 10, finding no immediate concerns.
- The mother, Justine May, faces two counts of homicide by child abuse.
Two young girls, Emory Deacon, aged 2, and Harlow Deacon, aged 15 months, were discovered deceased in their Ladson residence on September 29, 2026. The Charleston County coroner revealed their deaths were caused by starvation and dehydration resulting from neglect. Sheriff's deputies had responded to the Pinewood Drive home 13 times between August 10 and the date the children were found, with five of those occasions involving contact with the girls and their mother, Justine May.
Deputies, accompanied by state Department of Social Services and the S.C. Office of Mental Health Mobile Crisis Unit on separate visits, reported observing no signs of concern during their interactions with May and the children. The most recent visit prior to the discovery was on September 20, when only May was encountered. May, 31, was arrested on September 29 and charged with two counts of homicide by child abuse. She waived a bond hearing and remains incarcerated, with court appearances scheduled for November 20 and March 19.
Records indicate authorities were called to the home 26 times between mid-December 2021 and September 29, 2026, for various reasons including domestic disputes and welfare checks, with the majority of calls occurring in August and September of 2026. The children's father, Zachary Deacon, and his family had expressed concerns about May's declining mental health and had been reportedly blocked from seeing the children by May. An arrest affidavit revealed Deacon had called police on September 11 concerning May experiencing a mental health crisis, but May subsequently accused Deacon of harassment, leading to his arrest on September 12.
