All articles tagged with #welfare check
Justine Marie May, 31, faces two counts of homicide by child abuse after her two young daughters, Emory and Harlow Deacon, were found dead in their Ladson, South Carolina, home on September 29. May told investigators she could not remember feeding the children in the prior two weeks, describing the period as a 'blur.' She is currently held in the Charleston County jail without bond.
The Charleston County Coroner identified two toddlers, Emory and Harlow Deacon, who died from starvation and dehydration in a Ladson home. Justine May, their primary caregiver, faces homicide charges after deputies found the children dead during a welfare check, despite multiple prior visits by law enforcement and social services.
A welfare check conducted at Hayden Panettiere's West Hollywood apartment one week before her death has been detailed in a new report. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department responded to a call on August 9, 2026, regarding a woman who was not answering her phone. Panettiere, who died of a drug overdose on August 16, had recently returned from a hospitalization and was reportedly under the care of her boyfriend, Brian Hickerson.
Justine Marie May, 31, has been charged with two counts of homicide by child abuse after two bodies were discovered at her home in Ladson, South Carolina, during a welfare check on September 29. May was booked into the Charleston County jail and waived her bond hearing, remaining in custody pending a court appearance on November 20. While authorities have not released the victims' identities or causes of death, the specific charges indicate the deceased were children. The incident has drawn significant attention from neighbors and family members who had previously expressed concerns about May's mental health and the safety of her children.
A Richmond police officer with 20 years on the force was shot by a woman during a welfare check for a mental health crisis. The woman barricaded inside a home and fired indiscriminately, damaging homes and a patrol car; no other injuries were reported. The officer was hospitalized in serious condition but is expected to survive, and the suspect was taken into custody after SWAT, crisis negotiators and chemical agents were used to force her out. The incident prompted a lockdown in nearby El Cerrito and a command post was established on scene.
Three people were found dead Sunday inside a residence in Inver Grove Heights after police conducted a welfare check. Officials say there is no threat to the public, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is assisting as the medical examiner identifies the victims and determines the cause of death; the investigation is ongoing.
Three people were found dead inside an Inver Grove Heights home during a welfare check Sunday; the medical examiner will identify the victims and determine the cause of death, while the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension assists police. There is no known threat to the public. Anyone with information should call 651-450-2530.
Greenville police conducted a welfare check at a family home linked to Brian Hickerson, a visit the department says is unrelated to Hayden Panettiere’s death, as new details emerge about Hickerson’s past DV with Panettiere and neighbors recount disturbances at her building.
Greenville police conducted welfare checks at the Hickerson brothers’ grandmother’s home days after Hayden Panettiere’s death, knocking on doors and later returning for a welfare check while the death remains under investigation with toxicology pending; Panettiere died at an Airbnb and autopsy found no signs of trauma, with Narcan reportedly found at the site.
Relatives of a woman and four children and their grandmother urge the public not to jump to conclusions as Mechanicville police investigate six deaths found during a welfare check; autopsies are pending, authorities say there is no known threat to the public, and a press conference is planned as investigators seek answers.
Mechanicville police released the identities of six people found dead in a Harris Avenue home: Amy Steadman, 64; Sarah Myers, 44; and four Harmon children (Harper, 13; Hudson, 11; Gavin, 10; Gracelynn, 10). The bodies were discovered Tuesday evening during a welfare check; Steadman is Myers’ mother and the children's grandmother. Authorities say there is no evidence of anyone outside the group being involved and there is no known threat to the public, with autopsies underway as the investigation continues. Anyone with information is asked to contact Mechanicville police at 518-664-7383.
A welfare check in Carroll County left one deputy dead and another injured; authorities say the suspect remains at large and no additional details are immediately available as investigators continue their work.
Houston police say a welfare check found four family members dead in a River Oaks home: a 39-year-old woman, an 8-year-old girl, a 4-year-old boy, and a 52-year-old man who investigators believe shot the three victims and then himself, in what is being treated as a murder-suicide.
Two people were found shot to death in a Los Angeles home during a welfare check in Encino, with no arrests made yet, and the investigation ongoing.
A 29-year-old Houston woman, Lakesha Williams, has been arrested and charged with child abandonment after allegedly leaving her six and eight-year-old children unattended in their apartment for several days to go on a cruise. Concerned neighbors alerted law enforcement, and deputies found the children alone in unsanitary conditions during a welfare check. Williams has been charged with abandoning a child with intent to return and her bond was set at $25,000.