CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) — Authorities on Friday released body-camera footage showing Justine May and her daughters weeks before the two girls were found dead.
The footage offers the clearest look yet at daily life inside the Pinewood Drive home, where Emory and Harlow Deacon died. Their bodies were discovered during a welfare check last Tuesday, Sept. 29.
Officials say the girls died three to five days before they were found. Justine May is charged with two counts of homicide by child neglect.
The footage shows Charleston County Sheriff’s Office visits to the home on Aug. 30 and a Mobile Crisis Unit visit on Sept. 12.
The Aug. 30 footage is about 22 minutes in length. It begins with May answering the door while holding Harlow, who is wearing only a diaper.
Authorities release bodycam footage(Charleston County Sheriff’s Office)
Officers enter the home as a dog barks in the background. The home appears well-maintained, and pop music plays from a speaker in the kitchen.
During May’s conversation with an officer, Harlow is placed on the floor and soon begins crawling. Emory sits on the couch and draws.
Most of the discussion between deputies and May centers on her former fiancé.
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Zachary Deacon, the girls’ father, had requested multiple welfare checks at the home, telling authorities about what he described as May’s unusual behavior.
Deacon and May ended their eight-year relationship in early August. They had been engaged for five years.
A caseworker takes notes throughout the conversation while the young girls continue to draw and interact with the unknown individuals inside their home.
In the Sept. 12 footage, May is seen for most of the video, which takes place at the home’s front door. Dogs can be heard barking inside, along with occasional sounds of children playing.
Authorities release bodycam footage(Charleston County Sheriff’s Office)
May answers the door in a brisk tone, asking, “How may I help you?”
She then tells the officer that no one can enter the home.
May asks whether her ex-fiancé requested the welfare check. The officer says no; May’s parents had made the call.
May says she is frustrated but not suicidal.
The officer asks about her mental state, including whether she is hearing or seeing things. May says no to both and says she is sleeping seven hours a night.
“My family has been taunting the **** out of me,” May says.
She tells officers her ex-fiancé is spreading “crazy lies” about her, including that she is having a mental breakdown. She also says she cut off contact with her family because they were “harassing” her.
May also mentions an email from her mother, describing it as “horrible.”
“I’m clearly not crazy,” May says at one point. “And no, I’ve never had any mental health issues.”
The day after the visit, May shared screenshots of text messages and emails that she described as coming from concerned family members.
One email expressed concerns about May’s parenting. The screenshot reads: “It is not only about you – it’s about those two babies who rely on you for their life and well-being. As hard and heartbreaking it is to admit this to you, the signs of neglect are there…”
At the very end of the visit, both of the girls can be seen again: May holding Harlow and Emory standing in the doorway.
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