South Carolina magistrate denies bond to parents of drowning 5-year-old

A South Carolina magistrate has denied bond for John Herb Hayes III, 71, and Geordyn Nichole Hayes, 31, following the death of their 5-year-old daughter, Saylor. The couple faces charges of unlawfully placing a child at risk and willfully abandoning a child.

The incident occurred while the family was vacationing on Pawleys Island. Saylor, who was non-verbal and autistic, wandered away from a rental property and was found dead in a waterway on August 31 after a two-day search. Preliminary autopsy results from the Medical University of South Carolina indicated the child died of pulmonary edema, a condition consistent with drowning, though a final cause of death is pending.

During the hearing, Georgetown County Magistrate Steven Pop refused to grant bond, stating, “There’s no way on this earth that I’m going to grant a PR bond.” The arrest affidavit alleges the parents failed to provide appropriate supervision for a child with a known affinity for water and a history of elopement. The couple was extradited from Tennessee to face the charges.