Additional Coverage:
- South Carolina dad, 70, and mom, 31, arrested after five-year-old daughter found dead in river (themirror.com)
The parents of five-year-old Saylor Haynes, a nonverbal autistic child who was tragically found dead in a river near their South Carolina rental home, have been arrested in connection with her disappearance and death.
Saylor went missing on Sunday, August 30, and her body was recovered near the family’s property on Pawleys Island. Authorities took her parents, John Herb Hayes III, 70, and Geordyn Nichole Haynes, 31, into custody on Tuesday night. Both face charges of unlawfully placing a child at risk and willfully abandoning a child, according to the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office.
Court documents allege that Saylor was exposed to an unreasonable risk of harm due to a lack of proper supervision and safeguards appropriate for a nonverbal autistic child with a known attraction to water and a history of wandering. Although she had been fitted with a Project Lifesaver tracking device, the device was not on her at the time she disappeared. The transmitter was later found inside a vehicle at the family’s Virginia residence.
Investigators further claim that the parents misled search efforts by encouraging authorities to focus on tracking technology, despite knowing Saylor was not wearing the device, and diverted attention away from the nearby water where she was ultimately found.
The search for Saylor involved extensive efforts, including a helicopter and underwater drone from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard. Local residents also participated, trying to attract her by walking pets in the area and arranging for an ice cream truck to play music nearby.
Georgetown Sheriff Carter Weaver described Saylor’s death as “a heartbreaking tragedy” affecting the entire community. Georgetown County Coroner Chase Ridgeway reported no visible signs of trauma on Saylor’s body, with an autopsy pending to determine the cause of death.
Sheriff Weaver emphasized the responsibility of parents and caregivers to protect vulnerable children and noted that law enforcement acted after finding probable cause of neglect. “Saylor was a vulnerable 5-year-old child who depended upon the adults responsible for her care and protection,” he said.
“She deserved to be safe. She deserved to be protected.”
While the community mourns the loss, Sheriff Weaver affirmed that authorities will continue seeking truth and accountability to safeguard other vulnerable children in the future.