The Aporia · South Carolina mom couldn't remember last time she fed 2 daughters before they were found dead: affidavit

A South Carolina mother, Justine Marie May, faces two counts of homicide by child abuse after her two young daughters were found dead at their home in Ladson on September 29. According to affidavits, May told investigators she could not recall the last time she fed or gave water to her daughters who were approximately 1½ and 2½ years old. The Charleston County Sheriff's Office had previously visited the home multiple times with no apparent concerns but is now undergoing an internal review of its response procedures.

Written by AI on 2026-10-03, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

Story summary

Justine Marie May, a 31-year-old mother from Ladson, South Carolina, was charged with two counts of homicide by child abuse after her two young daughters, Emory Deacon (2 years old) and Harlow (1 year old), were found dead at their home due to starvation and dehydration. On September 29, deputies responded to a welfare check call where May was reportedly outside the house crying and speaking incoherently. Inside, they discovered the children's bodies.

May told investigators she couldn't remember when she last fed her daughters or gave them water, describing the previous two weeks as a "blur." She acknowledged that not feeding her children was neglectful. Family members had previously emailed May expressing concern about postpartum depression and fears of her harming the children, referencing the Lindsay Clancy murder trial in Massachusetts.

Prior to this incident, authorities had visited May's home 13 times between August 10 and September 29 due to welfare concerns.

Written for “Mom Charged Starving Daughters” on 2026-11-01, grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.

📰 Mom Charged Starving Daughters

Crime & Law · 3 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

This article reads unscored and hedges 75% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

Mom accused of starving 2 young girls to death after family feared Lindsay Clancy copycat Same event

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The affidavits describe the children as approximately 1½ and 2½ years old at the time of their deaths.

framing: speculative · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-03

🔮 A South Carolina mother told investigators she could not remember the last time she gave her two young daughters food or something to drink before deputies found both children dead inside their home, according to affidavits reviewed by Fox News Digital.

2026-10-03 · Fox News

South Carolina mom couldn't remember last time she fed 2 daughters before they were found dead: affidavit · speculative framing

A South Carolina mother told investigators she could not remember the last time she gave her two young daughters food or something to drink before deputies found both children dead inside their home, according to affidavits reviewed by Fox News Digital. uncertain

children → tell → Digital

Justine Marie May, 31, faces two counts of homicide by child abuse in connection with the Sept. 29 deaths of her daughters at the family's home in Ladson, outside Charleston, court documents show. uncertain

documents → face → Charleston

Charleston County Sheriff's Office deputies responding to a welfare check allegedly encountered May outside the home crying and "speaking incoherently," according to the affidavits. uncertain

deputies → respond → affidavits

Deputies entered the home to check on the children and found both dead, the documents state. asserted

documents → enter → children

May told detectives the previous two weeks had been a "blur" and that she could not remember when she last fed the children or gave them something to drink, according to the affidavits. uncertain

she → tell → affidavits

She allegedly told investigators she believed the children died because they did not eat and acknowledged that not feeding them was neglectful, the documents state. uncertain

documents → tell → them

May also said she had been the only person at the home and the children's sole caregiver during the previous few weeks. uncertain

she → say → weeks

FLORIDA COUPLE ALLEGEDLY HELD FOUR CHILDREN IN TRACTOR-TRAILER CAB FOR NEARLY SIX YEARS uncertain

COUPLE → hold → YEARS

The affidavits describe the children as approximately 1½ and 2½ years old at the time of their deaths. asserted

affidavits → describe → deaths

Investigators accused May of showing "extreme indifference for human life" by failing to provide her children with basic sustenance, which they alleged was a "main contributor to their death." uncertain

they → accuse → death

Separate arrest warrants were issued for each child, charging May with homicide by child abuse under South Carolina law. uncertain

warrants → issue → law

The Charleston County Sheriff's Office said deputies had made separate contact with May and the children twice in August and three times in September and reported seeing no obvious signs of concern during those encounters, according to published reports. uncertain

deputies → say → reports

Their last reported visit while the children were alive was Sept. 20. asserted

children → report → ?

The Charleston County Sheriff's Office of Professional Standards is conducting an internal review of the agency's response, while the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division's Special Victims Unit and the Department of Child Fatalities are assisting in the investigation, according to published reports. uncertain

Unit → conduct → reports

May was booked into the Charleston County jail on Sept. 29 and remained in custody as of Friday, according to online jail records reviewed by Fox News Digital. uncertain

May → book → Digital

The records list two homicide by child abuse charges. asserted

records → list → charges

South Carolina mom couldn't remember last time she fed 2 daughters before they were found dead: affidavit

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