Body-Camera Footage Released From Prior Home Visits
Authorities released body-camera footage showing Justine May and her young daughters inside their Ladson home weeks before the children were found dead. The video provides a look at daily life inside the Pinewood Drive residence during previous visits by the Charleston County Sheriff's Office and a Mobile Crisis Unit. Officials stated that 2-year-old Emory Deacon and 1-year-old Harlow Deacon died from starvation and dehydration due to neglect, passing away three to five days before their bodies were discovered during a welfare check on Sept. 29. Justine May is facing two counts of homicide by child abuse and child neglect. [1] [2]
Sheriff Defends Agency Response Amid Scrutiny
During an Oct. 9 press conference, Charleston County Sheriff Carl Ritchie stated that deputies observed no signs of distress or lack of care during multiple visits to the home prior to the children's deaths. Ritchie defended his department's handling of the case and rejected calls for an external investigation by the State Law Enforcement Division into the wellness checks, though SLED's child fatalities unit has been assisting with the ongoing investigation. Ritchie noted that body-worn cameras documented deputies seeing the children with their mother on six specific dates between late August and mid-September. A duty supervisor had previously directed deputies to stop conducting welfare checks after repeated visits yielded no signs of trouble, but a responding deputy went to the house on Sept. 29 despite that directive and made the grim discovery. [2]
Sources
- Body-camera video offers glimpse inside Ladson home before girls found dead — 2026-10-09T17:44:51.862Z
- Sheriff: Deputies saw no signs that Justine May’s children were in distress before their deaths — 2026-10-09T09:49:00-04:00