TWO LITTLE SISTERS WERE GONE FOR DAYS — WHILE THEIR FAMILY KEPT TRYING TO REACH THEM

What began as growing concern among relatives ended in one of the most heartbreaking discoveries imaginable.

Two young sisters in South Carolina were found dead inside their home after relatives had spent days trying to contact their mother and make sure the children were safe.

Emory Deacon, 2, and her 15-month-old sister, Harlow, were discovered in their Ladson home on September 29.

Investigators believe the sisters had already been dead for several days.

Their mother, 31-year-old Justine May, has been charged with two counts of homicide by child abuse.

But behind the criminal case is a story of unanswered messages, repeated welfare checks and relatives who say they were increasingly desperate to find out what was happening to the girls.

THE MESSAGES KEPT COMING

Family members had reportedly been attempting to contact May and see the children.

As days passed without seeing the girls, their concerns reportedly grew.

Messages became more urgent, with relatives asking about the children’s wellbeing and trying to arrange visits.

According to PEOPLE, the girls’ father and other family members had repeatedly expressed concern and wanted authorities to check on them.

There were also multiple welfare checks at the home.

Yet nothing immediately revealed the tragedy that investigators would eventually uncover.

A FINAL WELFARE CHECK CHANGED EVERYTHING

On September 29, deputies went to the residence again.

This time, they found the two children dead.

Authorities later estimated that the sisters had died approximately three to five days earlier.

The coroner classified the deaths as homicides and attributed them to starvation and dehydration associated with neglect.

The discovery left relatives facing a devastating reality: while they had been trying to find out where the girls were and whether they were okay, the children had already been gone for days.

THE MOTHER’S ACCOUNT

Investigators reportedly questioned May after the children were found.

According to an affidavit cited by PEOPLE, she described herself as being in a state of confusion for roughly two weeks and allegedly said she could not clearly remember when she had last fed her daughters.

Authorities say she acknowledged that the children had not been receiving adequate food.

May now faces serious criminal charges, and the case will ultimately be decided through the court process.

REMEMBERING EMORY AND HARLOW

Away from the allegations and courtroom proceedings, relatives are remembering two children whose lives ended far too soon.

Emory was just two years old.

Harlow was only 15 months.

Their family remembered them as happy little girls who brought energy and affection into the lives of those around them.

Their story is now at the center of a painful investigation — but for their loved ones, they were never simply names in a police report.

They were daughters, granddaughters, sisters and beloved children.

QUESTIONS THAT MAY TAKE YEARS TO ANSWER

The case has raised difficult questions about whether warning signs were missed and whether more could have been done when relatives became concerned.

Authorities had conducted welfare checks before the girls were discovered, according to reports.

Now investigators and prosecutors will have to reconstruct what happened inside the home during the days leading up to the children’s deaths.

For the family, however, one question may remain especially painful:

Could someone have reached the girls before it was too late?

The legal process may eventually provide answers.

But nothing can undo the loss of two very young children.

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SOURCE:

PEOPLE — Full report on the case