Zachary Deacon Sues Charleston County Sheriff Over Handling of Deaths

Zachary Deacon is suing Charleston County Sheriff Carl Ritchie, alleging the department denied him fairness and dignity following the deaths of his two daughters, Live 5 News reported.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, follows a tragedy in late September when Emory and Harlow Deacon were found dead inside their Ladson home. Their mother, Justine May, faces two counts of homicide by child abuse in connection with the deaths of the young girls.

The legal action centers on how the sheriff’s office handled sensitive information and communication during a period of intense grief. Deacon claims the department withheld body camera footage of his daughters and subsequently released that footage to the public the day after their funeral without notifying him.

Father of girls found dead in Ladson home takes legal action against Charleston County sheriff — WCBD NEWS 2

Beyond the handling of the footage, the filing alleges a failure in proactive child welfare intervention. According to court records, Deacon claims he and others made repeated contact with the sheriff’s office throughout August and September, prior to the girls’ deaths.

The circumstances surrounding the deaths have prompted calls for oversight beyond the local sheriff’s department. In October, the Charleston County coroner formally requested that the State Law Enforcement Division conduct an independent investigation into the multi-agency response that occurred leading up to the girls’ deaths.

This request for an outside probe highlights a growing tension regarding how local law enforcement agencies coordinate during suspected cases of child neglect or abuse. When multiple agencies are involved in a single case, the “multi-agency response” can often lead to gaps in communication or oversight.

The core of the dispute involves the intersection of public transparency and the privacy rights of grieving families. While law enforcement agencies often operate under public records laws, the timing of such releases can have profound psychological impacts on those directly involved.

The lawsuit seeks to address whether the sheriff’s office met its professional obligations to the family during a crisis. For the community in Ladson and the broader Charleston County area, the outcome of this litigation may influence how departments manage sensitive digital evidence and interact with families during active homicide investigations.

The State Law Enforcement Division has not yet released findings regarding the coroner’s request for an independent review.