Saylor Hayes’ Parents Waive Extradition

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

by TROY STYLES III

***

The parents of five-year-old Saylor Hayes, the nonverbal autistic girl who disappeared Sunday from a Pawleys Island vacation rental and was found dead the following morning, waived formal extradition proceedings during a Thursday court appearance in Tennessee.

John Herb Hayes III, 70, and Geordyn Nichole Hayes, 31, appeared before Judge Keith Bowers Jr. in Carter County general sessions court on Thursday (September 3, 2026). Both waived their right to counsel for the proceeding and agreed to be returned to South Carolina – where they are each charged with unlawfully placing a child at risk, causing harm or willfully abandoning a child.

Bowers authorized their extradition and gave South Carolina authorities ten (10) days to take custody of them. Until then, both will remain jailed without bond at the Carter County Detention Center (CCDC) in Elizabethton, Tennessee.

Bowers scheduled a status hearing for September 14, 2026, to confirm the couple had been transferred. If they are still in Tennessee at that time, the court will revisit the matter.

***

Both parents were arrested Tuesday in Carter County on felony warrants issued by the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO).

Their arrests came two days after Saylor was reported missing from a vacation rental on Old Waccamaw Drive in the Hagley community of Pawleys Island.

According to an incident report, Saylor’s mother told responding officers she left the child secured in a car seat while she went inside the home for “a short time.” When she returned, Saylor was gone.

The first 911 call was placed at approximately 11:39 a.m. EDT on Sunday. The caller described Saylor as severely autistic and nonverbal and said she had “escaped.” Officers arrived approximately eight minutes later, according to dispatch records. According to records obtained by WPDE, Saylor’s mother told officers she had left the child in her car seat for “a short time” before discovering she was missing.

***

***

Saylor’s disappearance prompted an extensive search involving hundreds of people and multiple law enforcement and emergency-response agencies. It ended in tragically when her body was recovered Monday morning from the water behind the home where the family was staying.

Agents with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) made the discovery.

According to affidavits accompanying the parents’ arrest warrants, Saylor had a known affinity for water and history of elopement. Investigators alleged she was left unsupervised within approximately 15 meters of the water.

Saylor had been assigned a Project Lifesaver transmitter intended to help authorities locate vulnerable people prone to wandering. The warrants alleged the device was removed before the family left Virginia. Investigators further allege both parents encouraged searchers to focus on the tracking technology despite knowing Saylor was not wearing the device and directed search efforts away from the nearby water.

The investigation into Saylor’s death remains active pending the results of an autopsy scheduled for Friday at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).

As with anyone accused of committing a crime, both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

Troy Styles is a field correspondent for FITSNews. He is also the owner of Blunt Force Media.

***

SOUND OFF…

Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.