South Carolina mother faces charges after daughters found dead at home

<p>A South Carolina mother, Justine Marie May, 31, told investigators she could not remember the last time she provided food or drink to her two young daughters before they were found dead in their home. This information comes from affidavits reviewed by Fox News Digital.</p><p>May faces two counts of homicide by child abuse in connection with the deaths of her daughters, who were approximately 1½ and 2½ years old, on September 29 at their home in Ladson, located outside Charleston, according to court documents.</p><p>Deputies from the Charleston County Sheriff's Office responded to a welfare check and found May outside the home crying and reportedly speaking incoherently. Upon entering the home, deputies discovered both children deceased.</p><p>May informed detectives that the previous two weeks had been a "blur" and that she could not recall when she last fed the children or provided them with something to drink. She acknowledged that her failure to feed them constituted neglect and believed this neglect contributed to their deaths, according to the affidavits.</p><p>Investigators noted that May had been the sole caregiver for the children during the preceding weeks. They accused her of showing "extreme indifference for human life" by not providing basic sustenance, which they stated was a significant factor in the children's deaths.</p><p>Separate arrest warrants were issued for each child, charging May with homicide by child abuse under South Carolina law.</p><p>The Charleston County Sheriff's Office reported that deputies had previously contacted May and the children multiple times in August and September, with no obvious signs of concern noted during those encounters. The last reported visit while the children were alive occurred on September 20.</p><p>The Charleston County Sheriff's Office of Professional Standards is conducting an internal review of the agency's response, while the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division's Special Victims Unit and the Department of Child Fatalities are assisting in the investigation. May was booked into the Charleston County jail on September 29 and remained in custody as of the latest reports, facing two homicide by child abuse charges.</p>