Autopsy of 5-Year-Old Saylor Hayes Finds No Visible Trauma, Cause of Death Pending

A forensic autopsy performed by the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston found no obvious signs of external or internal trauma in the body of 5-year-old Saylor Hayes. The examination, following an initial review at the Georgetown County Morgue, noted a strap attached to her ankle that resembled a child’s wrist tether, but no injuries were observed. The pathologist reported pulmonary edema, a buildup of fluid in the lungs, as a finding. The cause and manner of death have not been determined, and a comprehensive report is expected in 8 to 10 weeks after additional laboratory analysis.

Saylor’s parents, John Herb Hayes III and Geordyn Nichole Hayes, have been arrested and are being held on charges of unlawfully placing a child at risk and willful abandonment. The child was reported missing from a rental residence and later found in the Waccamaw River.

"No obvious signs of trauma were observed during the initial exam," a morgue official told investigators.

Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death.