South Carolina mom charged with homicide by child abuse after 2 kids found dead

Key Points:

• Justine Marie May, a 31-year-old South Carolina mother, faces two counts of homicide by child abuse after her two young daughters, aged approximately 1½ and 2½, were found dead in their home in Ladson on Sept. 29.
• Deputies found May outside the home crying and speaking incoherently during a welfare check; inside, the children were discovered deceased, and May admitted to investigators that she could not remember the last time she fed or gave them water.
• Investigators allege May showed "extreme indifference for human life" by neglecting to provide basic sustenance, which was a primary factor in the children's deaths; she was reportedly the sole caregiver during the prior weeks.
• The Charleston County Sheriff's Office had made multiple contacts with May and the children in the months leading up to the deaths but reported no obvious signs of concern; an internal review of the agency's response is underway.
• May was arrested and remains in custody, charged with homicide by child abuse, while the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and Department of Child Fatalities assist in the ongoing investigation.