Anderson County Son Charged With Murder After Mother’s Burned Remains Found in Backyard Pit

A 32-year-old Anderson County man is facing a murder charge after investigators say human bones and additional remains were recovered from a burn pit at his missing mother's home. Justin Queen is Dunn's son, and her vehicle and personal belongings remained at the house after she vanished. The Anderson County Sheriff's Office later moved to charge him.

According to FOX Carolina News, Dunn's employer requested a welfare check on June 27, 2025, after she had not been seen for roughly a week. Local missing person notices and records indicate she was last seen four days earlier, on June 24, 2025, in the Standridge Road area, according to a post shared in a local Facebook community group. When deputies went to check on her, they found she was not home, even though her vehicle and personal belongings remained at the house. The sheriff's office then opened a missing persons investigation.

A Burn Pit Search Turns Up Human Bone

The case took a grim turn in July 2025, when forensic investigators searched the area around Dunn's home and found human bones in a burn pit on the property, the station's report notes. A follow-up search warrant led deputies to recover additional human remains at the site. Detectives believe, based on the evidence gathered, that the burned remains belonged to Christy Dunn, though the report notes an assault took place inside her home before her body was taken to the burn pit.

Confirming that belief took specialized help. Detectives searched the property. The investigation continued as detectives worked to identify the remains.

Cell Records, Cash, and a Debit Card That Kept Getting Used

While the forensic work played out, detectives continued building their case. FOX Carolina reports that Dunn's debit card continued to be used after she was reported missing, and that Queen was seen driving her vehicle in the days that followed.

The solicitor's office determined that probable cause existed to seek charges against Queen before law enforcement moved forward.

Murder and Desecration Charges, No Bond on the Homicide Count

Queen was ultimately charged with murder and destruction of human remains, according to the Anderson County Sheriff's Office. He was denied bond on the murder charge and was being held at the Anderson County Detention Center, while a $10,000 surety bond was set on the destruction of human remains charge. Under South Carolina law, murder is classified as a violent offense, per the South Carolina Legislature.

South Carolina Code § 16-3-10 addresses murder. The destruction of human remains charge, outlined under South Carolina Code § 16-17-600 by the South Carolina Legislature, is a felony punishable by one to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000 upon conviction.

According to the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division's Crime Statistics portal, the state provides homicide data for 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, along with statistics for other crime categories.

The investigation remains ongoing. For now, Anderson County investigators say the case stands as a methodical, multi-agency effort that turned a routine welfare check into a homicide prosecution more than a year in the making.