John Hayes III and Geordyn Hayes have been returned to South Carolina following their arrests in Tennessee and are now being held at the Georgetown County Detention Center. Both parents waived extradition and were transported back to Georgetown County on September 4. 

At their first South Carolina court appearance on September 5, Georgetown County Magistrate Judge Steven Pop denied bond for both parents. They each face charges of unlawfully placing a child at risk and willfully abandoning a child in connection with the circumstances surrounding Saylor Hayes’ disappearance and d#ath. Their next scheduled preliminary hearing is November 19.

The case remains under investigation, and authorities have not announced any m#rder charges against the parents. Prosecutors will continue reviewing the evidence as the legal process moves forward. The charges are allegations, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Saylor, 5, was reported missing from the Pawleys Island area on August 30 before being found in nearby waters the following day. An autopsy reported fluid in her lungs, while additional testing remained ongoing.

What happens next could reveal more about the circumstances surrounding Saylor’s final hours — and why investigators believe the evidence led them to charge her parents.

Sources:
South Carolina Public Radio — Parents of Saylor Hayes back in SC custody 