Son charged with murder after mother's remains found in burn pit, Anderson County

Justin Queen, 32, has been charged with murder after the burned remains of his mother Christy Dunn were discovered in a burn pit at their South Carolina home.

Son charged with murder after mother's bones found in backyard burn pit

Google News MT — Crime (en) reports that a 32-year-old man from Anderson County, South Carolina, has been charged with murder following the discovery of his mother's remains in a burn pit on the family property.

Christy Dunn, 52, was reported missing on 27 June 2025 after her employer contacted the Anderson County Sheriff's Office to request a welfare check. Dunn had not been seen for approximately a week. When deputies attended her home, she was nowhere to be found.

Investigators noted that Dunn's vehicle and personal belongings remained at the residence. Her son, Justin Queen, and her grandson were the only other occupants of the home. Deputies established that Dunn's debit card continued to be used after her disappearance, and that her vehicle was only moved by Queen.

In July 2025, forensic investigators searching the grounds around Dunn's home uncovered human bones inside a burn pit on the property. A subsequent search warrant led to the recovery of additional remains. Detectives concluded, based on the available evidence, that an assault had occurred inside the home and that Dunn's body had been moved to the burn pit. The burned remains were identified as consistent with those of Christy Dunn.

Following the investigation, the solicitor's office determined that probable cause existed to charge Queen. Arrest warrants were served on Thursday at the Kirkland Correctional Institution, where Queen was already being held on unrelated child neglect charges.

Queen now faces charges of murder and destruction of human remains in connection with his mother's death. He has been transferred to the Anderson County Detention Center, where he was denied bond on the murder charge and issued a $10,000 surety bond on the destruction of human remains charge.

The investigation remains ongoing, the Anderson County Sheriff's Office said.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)