Inset left to right: Justin Queen and Christy Dunn (Anderson County Sheriff's Office). Background: The residence where Dunn's remains were found in a burn pit in Anderson, S.C. (Google Maps).
A South Carolina man is behind bars after his mother's remains were found in a burn pit, authorities in the Palmetto State say.
As of Friday, Justin Queen, 32, stands accused of one count each of murder and destruction of human remains, according to the Anderson County Sheriff's Office.
The charges are related to the disappearance and death of 52-year-old Christy Dunn, the sheriff's office said in a press release.
The investigation began on June 27, 2025, after Dunn's employer contacted the sheriff's office for a welfare check. A week had passed without word from the woman, so deputies went to her home on Standridge Road in Anderson — a medium-sized city roughly 30 miles southwest of Greenville — but could not locate her, authorities said.
For over a year, investigators were flummoxed.
This summer, the calculus changed.
In July 2026, a team of investigators and forensic specialists found "what appeared to be human bones" in a burn pit on the victim's property, according to law enforcement.
The sheriff's office claims there were "several concerning circumstances surrounding Dunn's disappearance" from the start.
"Detectives determined that Dunn's vehicle and personal belongings remained at her residence following her disappearance," the press release reads. "The vehicle was only moved when her son, 32-year-old Justin Queen, drove it. Detectives also discovered that Dunn's debit card continued to be used after she was reported missing."
As the investigation continued, detectives reviewed a litany of relevant financial records, cellphone records, and surveillance footage, according to the sheriff's office. Witnesses also said the defendant "had previously been seen in the woods" with his mother.
"Detectives determined that an assault occurred inside the residence and that Dunn's body was subsequently taken to the burn pit on the property," the press release goes on. "Detectives believe the burned remains recovered from the property are those of Christy Dunn."
Before the disappearance, the only other people who lived with Dunn were Queen and her grandson, authorities said.
Notably, the defendant was convicted of child neglect and began serving a prison sentence at the Kirkland Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina, two days after the initial welfare check was requested for the victim, prison records show.
On Thursday, Aug. 27, warrants were served on the accused inmate, the sheriff's office said during a press conference. The defendant was subsequently transferred to the Anderson County Detention Center.
The investigation is said to be ongoing.
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