Mother Charged with Homicide After Deaths of Two Young Daughters
A mother in South Carolina reportedly told investigators that she couldn’t remember when she last fed or provided drink for her two young daughters before deputies found them dead in their home.
Justine Marie May, 31, has been charged with two counts of homicide by child abuse related to the deaths of her daughters on September 29 in Ladson, just outside of Charleston, as indicated by court documents.
According to the affidavits, deputies from the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office went to conduct a welfare check and found May outside her home, crying and speaking incoherently.
Upon entering the home for a check on the children, the deputies discovered the girls were deceased, the documents report.
May informed detectives that the last two weeks had been a “blur” for her and that she couldn’t recall when she last provided food or drink to the children. She allegedly expressed that she believed their deaths were a result of not eating and admitted to neglecting their needs, stating she had been the children’s only caregiver during that period.
The affidavits describe the children as being around 1½ and 2½ years old when they passed away.
Authorities accused May of showing extreme disregard for human life due to her failure to provide basic sustenance, which they claim significantly contributed to her daughters’ deaths. Separate arrest warrants have been issued for each child, charging her with homicide by child abuse under state law.
Records indicate that deputies had interacted with May and the children multiple times in the weeks leading up to the incident, specifically two times in August and three times in September, without noting any obvious signs of distress. Their last recorded encounter with the family prior to the children’s death was on September 20.
In light of the tragedy, the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an internal review concerning the agency’s responses, while the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division’s Special Victims Unit and the Department of Child Fatalities are involved in the ongoing investigation.
May was booked into the Charleston County Jail on September 29 and remains in custody facing charges of homicide by child abuse.
