Parents arrested in Tennessee after missing autistic child's body found in South Carolina
The body of 5-year-old autistic Saylor Hayes was recovered near Pawleys Island, South Carolina, and her parents were arrested on fugitive-from-justice charges in Tennessee.
Authorities in Georgetown County, South Carolina, located the body of 5-year-old Saylor Hayes, who was described as severely nonverbal and autistic, in waters near Hagley Landing after a multi-agency search involving deputies, investigators, first responders and local residents. The search followed reports that the child, who had a known attraction to water, was missing and that a monitoring device previously attached to her had been removed before the family traveled from Virginia.
John Herb Hayes III, 70, and Geordyn Nichole Hayes, 31, were arrested Tuesday evening in Carter County, Tennessee, and booked on fugitive-from-justice charges related to alleged child endangerment or abandonment under South Carolina law. The couple will be extradited to South Carolina for further proceedings.
The arrest warrants note that the parents directed search efforts toward tracking technology despite knowing the device was not on the child and allegedly steered investigators away from the nearby water. Sheriff Carter Weaver said the arrests resulted from an extensive investigation and thanked those who assisted in locating Saylor. He emphasized that the arrests do not constitute a finding of guilt and that the defendants are presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
Both parents have prior felony allegations of child abuse or injury in Virginia, though those cases were later dismissed or reduced. No homicide charges have been filed; the pending charges focus on endangering or abandoning the child. The cause of Saylor’s death has not been disclosed.