Bodycam video shows police welfare check weeks before South Carolina toddlers' deaths
Body-camera footage from a August welfare check reveals Justine May appeared calm while police questioned her, weeks before the deaths of her two toddlers were discovered.
Police responded to a welfare check at Justine May’s residence on August 30 after concerns that the children had not been seen for several days. May greeted the officers, asked why they were there, and declined to answer questions about possible mental-health issues or threats, instead accusing her ex-fiancé of lying. Social workers warned May that her mental health seemed to have declined following a breakup, but she denied any problems.
The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office performed 13 checks that found the home clean and no sign of danger, and they stopped further checks after September 20. The toddlers, Harlow Deacon, 15 months, and Emory Deacon, 2 years, were later discovered dead from starvation. The sheriff’s office is now reviewing the footage, and the children’s father, Zack Deacon, has hired counsel to examine police actions.
Why it matters
The case raises questions about the effectiveness of welfare checks and police response to child neglect warnings.
In this story
