Parents arrested in Tennessee after 5-year-old girl found dead near Pawleys Island

Key Points:

• John Herb Hayes III and Geordyn Nichole Hayes, parents of missing 5-year-old Saylor Hayes, were arrested in Tennessee and charged with unlawfully placing a child at risk and willfully abandoning a child related to her disappearance and death.
• Saylor, a nonverbal child, went missing from a rental home in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, on Sunday morning; extensive search efforts involving deputies, volunteers, fire departments, marine patrol, and drones were conducted over two days.
• The child had been equipped with a monitoring device, which was removed before leaving Virginia, complicating search efforts despite the deployment of Project Livesaver technology.
• Saylor’s body was found in the water near the location she was last seen around 9:45 a.m., prompting a thorough investigation that led to the parents' arrest based on evidence suggesting neglect or abandonment.
• Authorities emphasized that the arrests do not imply guilt, highlighting the importance of protecting vulnerable children and committing to pursuing justice while honoring Saylor’s memory.