Parents of Saylor Hayes, 5, arrested after she's found dead as mother shared 'little angel' tribute
The parents of a five-year-old girl who was found dead in a South Carolina waterway have been arrested, just hours after the child's mother shared an emotional tribute calling her daughter her 'little angel.'
John Herb Hayes III, 70, and his wife, Geordyn Nichole Hayes, 31, were arrested in Tennessee on Tuesday in connection with the death of their daughter, Saylor Hayes.
According to the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office, the couple face charges of unlawfully placing a child at risk and willfully abandoning a child.
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The charges come after Saylor, who was nonverbal and autistic, was found dead near the family’s vacation rental in Pawleys Island following an extensive search involving multiple agencies.
Saylor had reportedly wandered away from the property during the family’s vacation.
Authorities said the child had a known tendency to wander and an affinity for water, but she was not wearing the Project Lifesaver transmitter she had previously been issued.
Saylor has reportedly worn the monitoring device since 2024.
However, according to the arrest document, the transmitter had been removed before the family traveled from Virginia to South Carolina.
Investigators have not said who removed it or exactly when it happened.
The device became a major part of the initial search.
Saylor was reported missing shortly after 12:30 p.m. Sunday, prompting a huge response involving drones, K-9 units, divers and helicopters equipped with Project Lifesaver technology.
Investigators initially believed the helicopter could locate Saylor through the transmitter attached to her.
But authorities later discovered the signal they were following was coming from a vehicle rather than the missing child.
Police have accused Saylor’s parents of knowing she was not wearing the device while encouraging search efforts to focus on tracking technology.
They also allege the couple directed investigators away from the nearby waterway.
Where did police find Saylor Hayes body?
Agents with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources found Saylor’s body in the water near where she had last been seen.
She was wearing a one-piece bathing suit and a white lanyard, according to authorities.
Her body reportedly showed no visible signs of trauma. However, officials have not yet determined how Saylor died.
Chase Ridgeway, the Georgetown County Coroner, said the cause and manner of death remain undetermined.
He said: "The cause and manner of death remain undetermined pending the completion of the autopsy and any necessary additional testing."
An autopsy is scheduled for Friday.
Saylor’s parents were arrested only hours after Geordyn Hayes posted a tribute to her daughter online.
She shared an undated photograph of Saylor smiling as she came down a slide, edited with a halo above her head and angel wings beside her.
The words 'Mommy’s little angel' appeared across the image.
Hayes also shared videos of Saylor playing on an inflatable water slide.
The family had reportedly been married for five years.
Following the arrests, Georgetown County Sheriff Carter Weaver said parents and caregivers have a responsibility to protect children who cannot protect themselves.
“Saylor was a vulnerable five-year-old child who depended upon the adults responsible for her care and protection,” Weaver said.
“She deserved to be safe. She deserved to be protected.”
The couple are expected to return to Georgetown County after extradition proceedings in Tennessee are completed.
It is not currently clear when the parents left South Carolina for Tennessee.
The investigation remains ongoing, and the allegations against the couple have not been proven in court.
Thomas Bamford