Parents arrested after South Carolina search for autistic daughter, 5, ends in tragedy near coastal getaway
A massive search for a missing 5-year-old autistic girl ended after authorities found her body in waters near Pawleys Island, South Carolina, and arrested her parents in Tennessee.
The Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office said John Herb Hayes III, 70, and Geordyn Nichole Hayes, 31, were arrested Tuesday evening in Tennessee and booked into the Carter County Jail on fugitive-from-justice charges.
The couple is accused of putting their daughter in danger or abandoning her under South Carolina law.
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The body of their daughter, Saylor Hayes, was found near Hagley Landing after an intensive search involving hundreds of people and multiple agencies. The sheriff’s office said the effort included deputies, investigators, first responders, partner agencies and local residents.
The couple will be transported back to South Carolina once extradition proceedings are completed. Carter County jail records show both were booked Tuesday evening.
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Arrest warrants issued in Georgetown County describe Saylor as severely nonverbal and autistic, with a strong attraction to water and a history of wandering away from her caregivers.
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The warrants allege that Saylor had been equipped with a monitoring device since 2024, but the device was removed before the family left Virginia. She was then allegedly left unsupervised within approximately 15 meters, or about 49 feet, of a body of water.
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After Saylor was discovered missing, the warrants allege that the Hayeses directed search efforts toward tracking technology despite knowing she was not wearing the device. The couple also allegedly directed search efforts away from the nearby body of water.
Virginia court records show John Herb Hayes previously faced two felony cases involving allegations of child abuse or injury. The charges stemmed from a July 3, 2023, incident and were presented to a grand jury. Hayes entered Alford pleas in May 2024, a type of guilty plea in which a defendant does not admit guilt. The cases were dismissed Feb. 11, 2026.
Geordyn Hayes also faced two felony cases involving allegations of child abuse or injury filed in February 2026. Prosecutors dropped one case Aug. 14. In the other, a felony charge alleging child abuse and disregard for life was amended to a Class 1 misdemeanor alleging she contributed to the delinquency of a minor.
The records do not identify the child involved in either case or say whether either case was connected to Saylor.
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In a warrant obtained by FITSNews, Washington County Sheriff’s Detective William W. Smarr wrote that he was notified on July 12, 2023, that social services had removed two children – a 2-year-old girl and a 1-year-old boy – from John Hayes and Geordyn Taylor’s home in Bristol, Virginia. Hair-follicle tests showed the girl had methadone in her system, while the boy tested positive for methamphetamine and methadone.
The same affidavit says drug tests showed John Hayes had methadone in his system, while Geordyn Taylor tested positive for methamphetamine and methadone. The parents told Smarr they did not know how the children had been exposed to the drugs. The affidavit also referenced recent calls to the home in which the couple reported that one of them was using methamphetamine and needed police assistance. Smarr said he would seek two counts of child abuse and neglect.
Sheriff Carter Weaver said the arrests followed an extensive investigation and were based on evidence developed by investigators. He thanked the people who worked to find Saylor and determine what happened.
"Parents and caregivers have a fundamental responsibility to protect children who cannot protect themselves," Weaver said in a statement.
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Weaver said the arrests should not be viewed as a determination of guilt and that both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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"Saylor deserved to be safe. She deserved to be protected," Weaver said.
Once they are returned to South Carolina, the couple will face the charges in court. Neither parent has been charged with homicide. Instead, the charges allege that they put Saylor in danger or abandoned her.
The warrants do not say how Saylor died. It was not immediately clear whether either parent had an attorney who could speak on their behalf.