Updated

Updated · Fox News · Sep 2

Parents Arrested in Tennessee After 5-Year-Old Daughter Found Dead Near Pawleys Island

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Sep 2

Parents Arrested in Tennessee After 5-Year-Old Daughter Found Dead Near Pawleys Island

Q: Why did the parents deliberately remove their autistic daughter's tracking device before taking her to a waterfront rental?

There is no verified public explanation for why Saylor Hayes’ parents removed her tracking device before the trip to the waterfront rental. Investigators have alleged the device was deliberately cut off before the family left Virginia, but court documents released so far do not state a motive. What is established is that Saylor, a severely nonverbal 5-year-old with autism, had a known history of wandering and a strong attraction to water. She was enrolled in Project Lifesaver, a radio-frequency tracking program designed for people at risk of wandering. Authorities in Virginia said the transmitter could not have been casually unclasped; it had to be physically cut off. Deputies later found it inside a vehicle at the family’s Virginia property. South Carolina warrants allege the parents then left Saylor unsupervised about 49 feet from water near Hagley Landing and, after she was reported missing, directed searchers toward tracking technology even though they allegedly knew she was not wearing the device. Investigators also say they steered attention away from the nearby water. Those facts have fueled suspicion, but they do not answer the “why.” Police have charged the parents with unlawfully placing a child at risk or willfully abandoning a child, not homicide, and officials say the investigation is ongoing. Until investigators disclose a motive or prosecutors present evidence in court, any reason for removing the device would be speculation.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 2

Tennessee deputies arrested John Herb Hayes III, 70, and Geordyn Nichole Hayes, 31, on fugitive charges after their 5-year-old autistic daughter Saylor was found dead in waters near Hagley Landing.
South Carolina warrants allege the parents removed Saylor’s tracking device before leaving Virginia, then left the severely nonverbal child unsupervised about 49 feet from water despite her history of wandering.
Investigators also allege the couple steered searchers toward tracking technology they knew she was not wearing and away from the nearby water where her body was later found.
The pair will be extradited to South Carolina to face child-endangerment or abandonment charges; authorities have not filed homicide counts and have not disclosed Saylor’s cause of death.
Virginia records show both parents previously faced child-abuse-related cases, including a 2023 investigation in which two other children were removed and tested positive for methadone or methamphetamine exposure.