Tennessee parents arrested in connection with death of 5-year-old girl found near Pawleys Island

John Herb Hayes III and Geordyn Nichole Hayes were arrested in Carter County, Tennessee, and charged with unlawfully placing a child at risk and willfully abandoning a child following the death of their 5-year-old daughter, Saylor Hayes. The nonverbal child was reported missing after she allegedly wandered from a rental home near Pawleys Island on Sunday morning. Law enforcement and volunteers conducted a two-day search that involved Georgetown County deputies, the Midway Fire Department, the Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol, drones, and fire department personnel.

According to an affidavit, Saylor had been wearing a monitoring device since 2024, which was removed before the family traveled from Virginia. Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Heather Pelham said Project Livesaver equipment was deployed on land and in the air to locate a signal from the device. Her body was recovered in the water near the location where she was last seen at approximately 9:45 a.m.

"The death of Saylor Hayes is a heartbreaking tragedy that has deeply affected our community and everyone who worked so hard to find her," said Sheriff Carter Weaver. "From the beginning, our responsibility has been to follow the evidence wherever it led. Following an extensive investigation, Saylor’s parents have been arrested and charged under South Carolina law relating to unlawfully placing a child at risk of or causing harm, or willfully abandoning a child."

Weaver emphasized that the arrests are based on evidence and do not constitute a determination of guilt, noting that the defendants are presumed innocent until proven otherwise. He expressed gratitude to the deputies, investigators, first responders, partner agencies, and citizens involved in the search and investigation.