Virginia Parents Arrested After Nonverbal Autistic Daughter Found Dead in South Carolina Waters
John Herb Hayes III, 70, and Geordyn Nichole Hayes, 31, a Virginia couple, have been arrested and charged with unlawfully placing a child at risk or willfully abandoning a child. Their 5-year-old daughter, Saylor Hayes, who was autistic and nonverbal, was found dead in South Carolina waters after being reported missing. Saylor disappeared from a vacation rental in the Pawleys Island area. An extensive search involving hundreds of volunteers and multiple agencies was conducted, and her body was recovered from the water near Hagley Landing. Arrest warrant affidavits state that the parents failed to provide appropriate supervision and safeguards for Saylor, who had a known affinity for water and a history of elopement. The parents are currently held without bond in Tennessee, awaiting an extradition hearing. 
