A South Carolina judge had some harsh words for the parents of 5-year-old Saylor Hayes, denying them bond after they were charged in connection with her tragic drowning death. The magistrate made it clear he wasn’t budging.
Georgetown County Magistrate Steven Pop refused to grant bond for John Hayes III, 71, and Geordyn Hayes, 31, during a hearing on Saturday. The couple, originally from Virginia, faces charges of unlawfully placing a child at risk and willfully abandoning a child.
The heartbreaking incident unfolded while the family was vacationing on Pawleys Island. Saylor, who is non-verbal and autistic, wandered off from the property and was later found dead in a waterway after a two-day search.
During the hearing, John Hayes’ attorney argued that the parents had been through a “horrific” ordeal and wanted to fight the charges. But Magistrate Pop wasn’t having it.
“That’s not going to happen on my watch,” Pop said in court, according to reports. “There’s no way on this earth that I’m going to grant a PR bond.”
An autopsy released on Friday revealed that Saylor died from injuries consistent with drowning, specifically pulmonary edema, which involves fluid buildup in the lungs. However, an official cause of death has not been finalized.
Court documents claim that Saylor was found in a bathing suit with a strap attached to her ankle, which appeared to be a wrist tether. The girl was reportedly supposed to wear a Project Lifesaver transmitter due to her tendency to wander, but she wasn’t wearing it when she disappeared.
John and Geordyn were arrested in Tennessee and extradited to South Carolina. The arrest affidavit alleges they failed to provide supervision and safeguards appropriate for a child with Saylor’s specific needs.
As the legal process unfolds, many are left wondering what more could have been done to prevent this devastating loss.
