South Carolina magistrate denies bail for parents in child's death
Georgetown County Magistrate Steven Pop refused bail for John Hayes III and Geordyn Hayes on September 6, 2026, after they were charged with child endangerment in the death of their 5-year-old autistic daughter Saylor Hayes, according to the New York Post. Authorities recovered Saylor's body on August 31 in waters near Pawleys Island after a multi-agency search. Washington County Sheriff Blake Andis said the child was not wearing her Project Lifesaver transmitter at the time.
The parents were arrested in Tennessee on charges of abandonment and fleeing justice, later agreeing to be extradited to South Carolina within ten days, as reported by NBC News. A forensic autopsy later found pulmonary edema with no visible trauma, leaving the exact cause of death pending.
