# Cause of Death Determined for Five-Year-Old Saylor Hayes Coroners confirm asphyxia by drowning as parents face ongoing criminal child neglect charges. - **Source:** [Us Weekly](https://www.usmagazine.com) - **Published:** 2026-11-10 - **Topic:** [politics](https://brifing.si/c/politics) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/d8c264f6-245e-43dd-9a91-cc91ef2a4546 ## Official Cause of Death Authorities in Georgetown County, South Carolina, have officially determined that five-year-old Saylor Hayes died from asphyxia due to drowning. The coroner’s report also identified child neglect as a significant contributing factor in the tragedy. The manner of death remains undetermined while the criminal investigation into the parents' actions continues to unfold. ## Discovery of the Child Saylor Hayes was discovered deceased in a waterway near her family’s rental home on Pawleys Island on August 31. Her body was located following a massive search effort involving hundreds of local residents and multiple law enforcement agencies. The discovery occurred one day after the intensive search operation began in the surrounding area. ## Parental Arrests and Charges John Herb Hayes III, 70, and Geordyn Nichole Hayes, 31, were arrested in Tennessee on September 1. They currently face charges of unlawfully placing a child at risk and willfully abandoning a child. The couple is awaiting extradition back to Georgetown County to face these serious criminal allegations in the local court system. ## Safety Device Negligence Investigators revealed that Saylor, who was nonverbal and autistic, was not wearing her Project Lifesaver transmitter when she disappeared. The device was typically used to track her due to a known history of elopement. Reports indicate the transmitter was removed before the family left their Virginia home, though the specific reasoning remains unclear. ## Misleading Search Efforts Police affidavits allege that the parents actively hindered the search by directing law enforcement to track the missing transmitter. The parents reportedly encouraged search teams to focus on the tracking technology despite knowing the child was not wearing the device. They also allegedly directed search efforts away from the nearby body of water. ## Sheriff’s Statement on Responsibility Georgetown County Sheriff Carter Weaver emphasized that the parents had a fundamental responsibility to protect a vulnerable child. He stated that law enforcement acted based on probable cause regarding the endangerment of the child’s safety. The sheriff noted that the arrests do not constitute a final determination of guilt under the law. ## Prior Legal History Reports have emerged indicating that Geordyn Hayes faced separate child abuse charges six months prior to Saylor’s death. That previous case involved allegations of child abuse, neglect, and reckless disregard for life concerning a juvenile male. These prior legal issues are being examined as part of the broader context surrounding the current investigation. ## Ongoing Judicial Process The defendants are currently presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. As extradition proceedings conclude, the couple will face further legal scrutiny regarding their failure to provide appropriate safeguards for their daughter. The case highlights the critical importance of supervision for children with specific safety needs and medical conditions. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.usmagazine.com/crime-news/news/saylor-hayes-cause-of-death-revealed-after-parents-arrests/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._