Five-year-old Saylor Hayes disappeared from a vacation rental in South Carolina, USA, on Sunday, August 31.
After an extensive search operation, her body was found the following day in the water near a popular boat ramp.
The girl’s parents have now been arrested and charged following her death.
Saylor Hayes had disappeared from a house the family was renting on Pawleys Island in South Carolina. According to the investigation, she left the residence on her own. The girl had severe autism and was non-verbal. She was also known to wander off on her own and had a strong attraction to water.
Allegedly Removed the Tracking Equipment
Since 2024, Saylor had been wearing tracking equipment that could help locate her if she went missing. However, according to the police investigation, the equipment was removed before the family left the state of Virginia.
When the girl disappeared, a large-scale search operation was launched. Hundreds of people participated and several agencies searched for her. Drones were deployed while divers searched around docks and in the water. But according to the investigation, the parents also allegedly urged search personnel to use the tracking equipment — despite knowing that Saylor was no longer wearing it.
On Monday, her body was found by staff from South Carolina’s Department of Natural Resources in the water near the location where she had last been seen. Following the discovery, police continued to investigate what had happened and the circumstances surrounding the girl’s disappearance.
Parents Arrested After Saylor Hayes Found Dead
On Tuesday, Saylor’s parents, John Herb Hayes III and Geordyn Nichole Hayes, were arrested in the state of Tennessee. Both have been charged with unlawfully exposing a child to danger or willfully abandoning a child.
According to Sheriff Carter Weaver, the suspicions are based on evidence gathered during the investigation. He also emphasizes that the charges do not mean the parents are guilty.
“Parents and caregivers have a fundamental responsibility to protect children who cannot protect themselves,” Weaver said, according to People.
“When the evidence establishes probable cause to believe that a child has been unlawfully placed in circumstances that endanger that child’s safety, law enforcement has a responsibility to act.”
He describes Saylor as a particularly vulnerable child who was dependent on the adults around her.
“She deserved to be safe. She deserved to be protected.”
Hundreds of people took part in the search for Saylor and many residents searched their own properties and surrounding areas. The sheriff has expressed his condolences to the girl’s family and said that her death has affected the entire community.
The parents will be returned to South Carolina once the extradition process is complete, where legal proceedings against them will continue.
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