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by JENN WOOD
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John Herb Hayes III, father of the late five-year-old Saylor Hayes, faces a new simple assault charge following an altercation with another detainee at the Georgetown County Detention Center, according to a sheriff’s office incident report obtained by FITSNews.
Hayes and James Tillman Bradley II, 34, each accused the other of starting the confrontation. A responding deputy said she could not determine who the primary aggressor was – and decided to cite both men for simple assault.
Hayes, 71, has been held at the detention center since September 4, 2026 – when he and Saylor’s mother, Geordyn Nichole Hayes, 31, were returned to South Carolina from Tennessee. Both parents were charged with unlawfully placing a child at risk of harm or willfully abandoning a child following Saylor’s August 30, 2026 disappearance from a Pawleys Island vacation rental.
The body of the nonverbal, autistic girl was recovered from the Waccamaw River the following morning.
According to the new incident report (.pdf), Hayes told deputy Ashley Nicole King that Bradley had threatened him following his arrival at the jail. Hayes said Bradley struck him in the face and ribs after jail staff attempted to move him into a different cell. He reported a bloody nose and said he believed his jaw or a rib might be broken.
Bradley gave a different account. He told King he had previously complained that Hayes was threatening other detainees and trying to start fights. Bradley said Hayes became angry during a dispute over whether he would sleep on the floor or an upper bunk, then threw water on him, pushed him and struck him in the face.
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King photographed both men but reported seeing no visible injuries, swelling or redness on either of them at the time. The report does not document a medical examination – or establish whether Hayes suffered the injuries he described.
The deputy also sought copies of any grievances Bradley had filed, but booking staff told her she would need to follow up with a captain the next morning. No grievance records or follow-up findings are included in the three-page report.
The jail incident is separate from the pending case involving Hayes’ late daughter, whose disappearance and death sparked a national outcry last month.
A September 4, 2026 autopsy found pulmonary edema — fluid in the lungs — but no visible internal or external trauma, according to Georgetown County coroner Chase Ridgeway. The coroner said Saylor’s cause and manner of death remained unknown pending additional laboratory testing.
The charges against her parents and the new assault citations are allegations. No finding of guilt has been made in either case.
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THE INCIDENT REPORT…
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
As a private investigator turned journalist, Jenn Wood brings a unique skill set to FITSNews as its research director. Known for her meticulous sourcing and victim-centered approach, she helps shape the newsroom’s most complex investigative stories while producing the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts. Jenn lives in South Carolina with her family, where her work continues to spotlight truth, accountability, and justice.
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