SC Mom Charged After 2 Daughters Found Dead, Affidavits Say

A South Carolina mother is facing two homicide by child abuse charges after investigators said she told them she could not remember the last time she fed her two young daughters or gave them something to drink before both children were found dead inside the family home.

According to affidavits reviewed by Fox News Digital, Justine Marie May, 31, was charged in connection with the Sept. 29 deaths of her daughters at the family’s residence in Ladson, a community outside Charleston. Deputies with the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office responded to a welfare check at the home and allegedly found May outside crying and speaking incoherently.

After entering the residence to check on the children, deputies found both girls dead, the court documents state. The affidavits describe the children as about 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 years old at the time of their deaths.

Investigators said May later told detectives that the previous two weeks had been a blur. According to the affidavits, she said she could not recall when she had last fed the children or provided them with anything to drink. The documents also state that she told investigators she believed the children died because they did not eat and acknowledged that failing to feed them was neglectful.

The affidavits further say May told investigators she had been the only person in the home and the children’s sole caregiver during the previous few weeks. Based on those statements and the investigation, authorities accused her of showing extreme indifference for human life by failing to provide basic sustenance, which they alleged was a main contributor to the children’s deaths.

Charges and investigation

Separate arrest warrants were issued for each child, and both charge May with homicide by child abuse under South Carolina law. Jail records reviewed by Fox News Digital show May was booked into the Charleston County jail on Sept. 29. As of Friday, she remained in custody, and the records list two homicide by child abuse charges.

The case has also prompted a review of prior law enforcement contact with the family. According to published reports cited in the article, deputies had separate contact with May and the children twice in August and three times in September. During those encounters, authorities reportedly did not observe obvious signs of concern.

The last reported visit by deputies while the children were still alive was on Sept. 20, according to those reports. That timeline has drawn attention as investigators continue to examine what happened in the days leading up to the children’s deaths.

Internal review underway

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

At this stage, the affidavits provide a stark picture of the allegations against May, but the criminal case will proceed through the court system. Authorities have not, in the material cited here, released additional details about the children’s deaths beyond the allegations contained in the affidavits and the charges now filed.

The case remains under investigation, with multiple agencies involved as officials review both the circumstances surrounding the deaths and prior interactions between deputies and the family.