Probate Lawyer in Ladson, SC

LADSON, S.C. (WCSC/Gray News) — A homeowner in South Carolina is facing charges after authorities say two children were found dead at the home on Tuesday.

Justine May, 31, was booked into the Charleston County jail on two counts of homicide by child neglect, court records showed.

May will remain in custody after waiving her right to a bond hearing on Wednesday. She is scheduled for an initial court appearance Nov. 20.

Charleston County authorities said they were called to the home on Pinewood Drive for a welfare check Tuesday afternoon when they found the two children dead inside.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Department of Child Fatalities and the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office are both investigating.

May’s ex-boyfriend, Zachary Deacon, also found himself in custody recently after being arrested on Sept. 11. The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded that day to the same home regarding a reported mental health crisis.

Deacon’s charges include harassment in the second degree after May alleged that Deacon continued to contact her after prior domestic violence.

Family members of May said they had called law enforcement within the last month regarding the well-being of May and the children who were in her care.

Documents stated that Deacon had previously called May delusional, spiraling and in need of getting a grip on reality while referencing involvement with social services.

On Sept. 13, May herself posted on social media screenshots of concerned text messages and emails allegedly from family, with an email specifically expressing concerns about her parenting.

Deacon has since been released on bond, but a judge has ordered him not to have contact with May or the children as a condition of his release.

The Charleston County Coroner’s Office did not immediately release the cause of death for the two children, as investigators said the case remains under investigation.

Copyright 2026 WCSC via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

LADSON, S.C. (WCSC) — Court records show the homeowner from Tuesday’s incident in Ladson has been charged in connection with the deaths of children.

Justine Marie May, 31, is charged with two counts of homicide by child abuse.

Deputies responded to an incident in the 3200 block of Pinewood Drive in Ladson just past 1 p.m. Tuesday. Upon arrival, two individuals were found dead, according to sheriff’s spokesperson Lexi Douglas.

The scene drew a large law enforcement presence, with nearly 20 Charleston County vehicles responding. Neighbors said they could not get to or leave their homes for hours, and sheriff’s office vehicles remained on the street late into the night.

By Wednesday, the neighborhood had returned to its usual routine.

Neighbors had their doors open and birds could be heard chirping. Across from the home, a trampoline sat in a front yard. Just two doors down, students were being dropped off by their school buses.

For residents, the contrast between the quiet neighborhood and what happened there has been difficult to process. Bob Matthews, who lives across the street, said neighbors have built strong relationships over the years.

“We really love our people, our neighbors. They’re there for you when you need ‘em.”

He said that what happened yesterday stopped him in his tracks.

“I was out at my farm at the time that it happened. And I was going to work, but I couldn’t work. It just really devastated me.”

He said the neighborhood has watched generations of families grow up there.

“Our neighborhood’s been a very good neighborhood. We’ve watched the children grow up here and become grandparents, and some are even still living here.”

Matthews said the incident was especially difficult because of how familiar neighbors are with one another.

“And for this to happen, it just took the life out of me.”

Rachel Breslin, who grew up across the street, said she had never seen anything like this happen in the neighborhood.

“That just has never happened. It’s never happened here. So, that’s crazy.”

Breslin said the incident was a reminder that neighbors may not always know what is happening inside each other’s homes.

“It’s really sad. I mean, you never know what’s going on behind closed doors.”

Irene Ackerman said she was struggling to comprehend what happened.

“God, I just can’t believe it. It’s tearing me up. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

Ackerman said the situation was particularly difficult because of the nature of the neighborhood she calls home.

“It’s scary. Because you wouldn’t have thought something like that would happen in this neighborhood.”

The Charleston County Coroner’s Office has not yet confirmed the age, identities or cause of death of the victims, but the charges indicate the victims were children. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Department of Child Fatalities and the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office are both investigating the incident.

May’s bond was waived at a hearing Wednesday morning, meaning she will remain in custody. She is scheduled for an initial appearance Nov. 20. May remains booked into the Al Cannon Detention Center.

Copyright 2026 WCSC. All rights reserved.

LADSON, S.C. (WCSC) — Charleston County’s finance committee is scheduled to vote on a resolution that would allow CARTA to use eminent domain for land at the Exchange Fairgrounds in Ladson.

The Lowcountry Rapid Transit is a 21.3-mile project connecting US-78 and Commerce Center in Ladson to Line Street and West Edge Street in downtown Charleston. Officials say the goal is to help with congestion.

CARTA says it needs six acres of land at the Exchange Fairgrounds for the project.

“Building the first ever large-scale transit project that this state has ever seen,” Mike said.

“Save a lot of people time from, you know, trying to worry about beating traffic, you know,” resident Andrew Brown said.

“For many years we were cooperatively working towards six acres at the very north end being part of the project,” Mike said.

The Exchange Club has opposed giving up the land. Court documents say the club claims giving up the land would disturb operations, including patron access and charity revenue.

CARTA officials say the matter seemed settled.

“We’d already settled on the alignment, gone through not one, not two, but three public hearings including an environmental study. It’s turned out that here we are at the 11th hour having to talk about condemnation of six acres along the route,” Mike said.

Tomorrow’s finance committee meeting follows a judge blocking CARTA’s initial attempt to obtain the land in June, ruling CARTA had not received county approval to begin condemning the land.

CARTA officials maintain the land is needed.

“If we were to change the alignment and change the um culmination of the project on the north end, we would have to start all over again. It would seriously, if not completely, jeopardize the project,” Mike said.

He said there is no option other than to continue and condemn the six acres in a fair way.

The Exchange Club has filed an appeal in court to determine whether state law allows CARTA to take the land in this manner. The club declined to comment further due to pending litigation.

Charleston County will vote on the resolution at the finance committee meeting Thursday.

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56*

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96 %

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LADSON, S.C. (WCSC) — Drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians along a dangerous stretch of Ladson Road could soon see some major safety upgrades.

According to the South Carolina Department of Transportation, over three years, 1,172 total crashes (1,167 vehicular, four pedestrian, and one bicycle) have been reported, making approximately 150 crashes per mile every year.

“It was an incredibly uncomfortable, and it felt risky at times being a pedestrian in that space,” Katie Zimmerman, executive director of Charleston Moves, said.

Of those, 247 resulted in injuries from car crashes and four pedestrians.

“That’s a very important cause for the South Carolina Department of Transportation to just get those numbers down and get to work there,” Tyler Fedor, media relations specialist for SCDOT, said.

Along this 2.6-mile stretch, SCDOT studied the road firsthand through a Road Safety Assessment, not just through the data and the numbers, but what it feels like to use it every day. The state says the RSA limits begin at Wallace Ackerman Drive/Limehouse Drive and end where the Charleston County Highway 78 improvements project starts near College Park Road. The corridor was selected for assessment through the Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program.

“We’re looking at how drivers are driving. We’re looking at where people are bicycling, walking, using assistive devices, all of the different things. And just sort of trying to then come together and come up with what we think is working well and then what we think needs improvement and how,” Zimmerman said.

SCDOT is now proposing a list of fixes:

But none of it works, they say, without the community’s input.

“The locals, the people that use this road, come and tell us, you know, what do they see, what do they want, how do they feel about the potential proposed changes, and being able to collect that feedback, consider all that feedback, and potentially act on that feedback, is absolutely important because that keeps South Carolinians safe,” Fedor said.

The drop-in public meeting will be held Sept. 17 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Heritage Holiness Church located at 3836 Ladson Road, Ladson, SC 29456.

The comment period ends on Oct. 1.

The project schedule:

To provide feedback and learn more about the project, click here.