Newly released body camera footage shows Charleston County deputies at a Ladson, South Carolina home on August 30 and again on September 12, weeks before 2-year-old Emory Deacon and 15-month-old Harlow Deacon were found dead inside. Investigators say the girls died three to five days before the September 29 welfare check, and that the cause was starvation. Their mother, Justine May, now faces two counts of homicide by child abuse.
The video captures May answering the door and speaking with deputies about her ex-fiancé, Zachary Deacon, her family, and her mental state. She told them she was not suicidal and had no history of mental health issues. According to authorities, May’s parents and Zachary Deacon were the ones who requested the welfare checks that brought deputies to the home.
The case has raised difficult questions about how repeated welfare checks and a mobile crisis visit failed to prevent the deaths of two young children. For families across the Suncoast and beyond, it’s a reminder of how much depends on what happens after someone picks up the phone to report a concern.
What do you think should happen when family members and crisis teams keep flagging the same address? We’d like to hear from you.
