Geordyn Hayes, 31, and John Hayes, 70, have been arrested and charged after their nonverbal 5-year-old daughter, Saylor Hayes, wandered away from a rental home on Pawleys Island, South Carolina, and was later found deceased in a body of water, authorities said.
Background
The tragedy unfolded over the weekend at a rental property in the Hagley Estates area near Old Waccamaw Drive on Pawleys Island, an Atlantic coast community adjacent to the Waccamaw River. Saylor Hayes had autism, was nonverbal, and had a documented history of elopement along with a known affinity for water, according to arrest warrants filed against her parents.
The Georgetown County Sheriff's Office in South Carolina initially announced Saylor was missing on Sunday, requesting assistance from area residents. Deputies attempted to locate the child through Project Lifesaver, an international search-and-rescue program designed for individuals prone to wandering due to autism, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, or other cognitive conditions.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office in Virginia confirmed that Saylor was enrolled in their local Project Lifesaver program since June 2024. When Georgetown County investigators contacted the Virginia agency about her transmitter, deputies discovered the device had been left "inside a vehicle on the property" and was not with Saylor when she disappeared.
The Investigation
According to arrest warrants, Geordyn Hayes and John Hayes allegedly "encouraged search efforts to be directed toward the use of tracking technology," even though they knew the child was not wearing the monitoring device. The suspects also allegedly "directed search efforts away from the nearby body of water."
"Project Lifesaver is a voluntary program" where parents, guardians, or caregivers are responsible for ensuring the transmitter remains properly secured to the client, the Washington County Sheriff's Office noted. Because the device is designed for continuous wear, "it can't simply be unclasped or removed by the client; the band must be physically cut in order to remove the transmitter."
After hundreds of people and multiple agencies participated in the search effort, Saylor was found dead Monday morning. Officers discovered her body "in the waters near the area where she was last seen" on Sunday morning.
The warrants indicate Saylor was "left unsupervised within approximately 15 meters of a body of water." An autopsy has been scheduled for Friday to determine the official cause of death.
The Charges
Both parents are each charged with unlawfully placing a child at risk or willfully abandoning a child in connection with the disappearance and subsequent death of Saylor Hayes, per the Georgetown County Sheriff's Office. They were arrested Tuesday in Tennessee and are being held in the Carter County Detention Center, where they are listed as fugitives from justice for a crime committed in another state.
The suspects are expected to be extradited to Georgetown County, South Carolina, to face the charges. It remains unclear why the family was in Tennessee at the time of their arrest.
"Saylor was a vulnerable five-year-old child who depended upon the adults responsible for her care and protection," said Georgetown County Sheriff Carter Weaver. "She deserved to be safe. She deserved to be protected."
Key Takeaways
- Saylor Hayes, 5, had autism and was nonverbal with a known history of wandering away from caregivers
- Her Project Lifesaver transmitter was found at the family's Virginia home rather than on her person when she disappeared
- Parents allegedly directed searchers away from the nearby Waccamaw River despite knowing their daughter was not wearing her tracking device
- Both parents—Geordyn Hayes, 31, and John Hayes, 70—are charged with unlawfully placing a child at risk or willfully abandoning a child
- The suspects were apprehended in Tennessee and face extradition to South Carolina
What's Next
An autopsy is scheduled for Friday to establish the official cause and manner of Saylor Hayes' death. Geordyn and John Hayes are currently being held in Carter County Detention Center in Tennessee pending extradition proceedings to Georgetown County, South Carolina, where they will face the charges filed against them.
"From the beginning, our responsibility has been to follow the evidence wherever it led," Sheriff Weaver said. "Parents and caregivers have a fundamental responsibility to protect children who cannot protect themselves. 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."