Parents Arrested After 5-Year-Old Saylor Hayes Found Dead Near South Carolina Vacation Rental

Saylor Hayes, a nonverbal 5-year-old, was found dead in South Ca the Virginia girl’s death during a family trip to South Carolina, as investigators allege she was left without safeguards appropriate to her needs and that crucial information complicated the massive search for her.

John Herb Hayes III, 70, and Geordyn Nichole Hayes, 31, were taken into custody in Carter County, Tennessee, on Tuesday, September 1. Both face charges of unlawfurolina waters after wandering from her family’s Pawleys Island vacation rental.Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook

The parents of 5-year-old Saylor Hayes have been arrested followinglly placing a child at risk/willfully abandoning a child in connection with Saylor’s disappearance and subsequent death, according to the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office.

The arrests came one day after Saylor, a severely nonverbal autistic child with a documented history of wandering, was found dead in a waterway near the family’s vacation rental in the Pawleys Island area.

Authorities have not yet determined her cause or manner of death. An autopsy is scheduled for Friday.

Saylor disappeared during family vacation

Agents with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources found Saylor’s body in the water near where she was last seen, police said.Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook

Saylor was reported missing on Sunday, August 30, after wandering away from the property where her family was staying in the Hagley area near Pawleys Island.

Her disappearance triggered an extensive multi-agency response involving hundreds of people. Search crews worked by land, air and water, deploying drones, K-9 teams, divers and Project Lifesaver equipment.

The search ended the following morning.

At approximately 9:45 a.m. on Monday, August 31, agents with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources located Saylor’s body in water near the area where she had disappeared.

According to the original report provided by the user, Georgetown County Coroner Chase Ridgeway said there were no visible signs of trauma on Saylor’s body. Her cause and manner of death remain undetermined while officials await the autopsy and any additional testing.

The missing Project Lifesaver transmitter

A key focus of the investigation has become a tracking device Saylor had used through Project Lifesaver.

Washington County Sheriff Blake Andis said Saylor, who was from the Bristol area of Virginia, had been enrolled in the program since June 2024. Project Lifesaver is designed to help locate people who may wander because of cognitive conditions or other special needs. Participants wear a small transmitter that emits an individualized radio frequency that trained search teams can track.

But when Saylor disappeared in South Carolina, the transmitter was not on her.

Authorities in South Carolina contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for Saylor’s assigned frequency. When search teams could not detect the signal near Pawleys Island, deputies in Virginia checked the family’s residence.

The transmitter was discovered inside a vehicle on the property in Virginia.

Andis explained that the transmitter uses a specialized band intended for continuous wear. It cannot simply be unclasped; the band has to be physically cut to remove the device.

Investigators allege the monitoring device had been removed before the family traveled from Virginia to South Carolina. Available reports do not establish who removed it or precisely when.

Arrest warrants allege inadequate safeguards

Geordyn Hayes, Saylor’s mom, shared a snap in December 2024 of the family sitting on a wooden bench.Facebook/Geordyn Hayes

According to accounts of the arrest affidavits, investigators allege John and Geordyn Hayes failed to provide supervision and safeguards appropriate for Saylor, given her age, severe nonverbal autism, history of wandering and known attraction to water.

Authorities also allege that Saylor was left unsupervised near water and that her parents encouraged rescuers to use tracking technology despite knowing she was not wearing the transmitter.

The warrants further accuse the parents of directing search efforts away from the nearby water.

Those allegations form part of the criminal case and have not been proven in court.

Sheriff says Saylor “deserved to be protected”

Following the arrests, Georgetown County Sheriff Carter Weaver emphasized the responsibility adults have when caring for children unable to protect themselves.

Weaver said law enforcement has an obligation to act when evidence establishes probable cause that a child was placed in circumstances that endangered their safety.

Speaking about Saylor, the sheriff said she depended on the adults responsible for her care and protection, adding: “She deserved to be safe. She deserved to be protected.”

Authorities stressed that the investigation remains ongoing.

John and Geordyn Hayes were being held in Tennessee pending extradition proceedings that will return them to Georgetown County, South Carolina.

Mother posted tribute shortly before arrests

Another poignant detail emerged shortly before news of the arrests became public.

According to the original report, Geordyn Hayes posted an undated photograph of Saylor smiling as she came down a slide. The image had been edited to show the girl with a halo and angel wings and included the words “Mommy’s little angel.”

She also shared footage of Saylor playing on an inflatable water slide.

The posts appeared only hours before Saylor’s parents were arrested in Tennessee.

Questions remain as investigation continues

Other agencies deployed drones, K-9 units and divers, while crews scanned the waterways near where Saylor went missing.Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook

Saylor’s death has now shifted from a missing-child search to an active criminal investigation.

Authorities are examining the circumstances surrounding her disappearance, the absence of her Project Lifesaver transmitter and the information allegedly provided to rescuers while hundreds of people searched for her.

Washington County Sheriff Blake Andis said the case illustrates why the tracking program can be important when a vulnerable person disappears. While acknowledging that technology cannot guarantee an outcome, he said officials believe the transmitter could have helped search teams locate Saylor sooner had she been wearing it.

For now, one of the most important unanswered questions is Saylor’s precise cause of death. Officials say that determination will depend on the autopsy and any additional testing considered necessary.

John and Geordyn Hayes face allegations related to placing a child at risk and willful abandonment. The charges are accusations, and guilt would have to be established through the legal process.