Who Is Justine Marie May? Mom Accused in Deaths of Her Two Toddlers
The children were found Tuesday in a home on Pinewood Drive in Ladson, about 20 miles northwest of Charleston.
Justine Marie May, 31, is facing two counts of homicide by child neglect after her two young daughters were found dead in her South Carolina home during a welfare check. The girls, named Emory and Harlow, were both under the age of three. Authorities reported that May owned the Pinewood Drive home in Ladson, where the bodies were discovered.
Family members claim they had been trying to get help for May and her daughters for weeks before the tragedy. They had expressed concerns about May's behavior, which reportedly changed drastically about 45 to 60 days before the deaths. The family had concerns after seeing a photo of Harlow with a severe rash and noted that May stopped communicating with them a month prior.
May's mother even emailed the local police chief with worries about the situation one day before the girls were found dead. Authorities have not released the charging documents, but a probable cause affidavit indicated that May told investigators she had been in a "blur" for the past two weeks and could not remember the last time she fed or gave fluids to her daughters.
She claimed she believed the children died due to starvation and acknowledged that failing to provide food and water was neglectful. The affidavit also stated that May was the sole caregiver for the girls and that no one else had been at the home in the weeks leading up to their deaths. May waived a bond hearing, and it remains unclear when her next court appearance will be.
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