Magistrate Steven Pop Denies Bond for Parents John Hayes III and Geordyn Hayes Following Daughter's Drowning
Georgetown County Magistrate Steven Pop denied bond for John Hayes III and Geordyn Hayes, who face charges of unlawfully placing a child at risk and willfully abandoning a child. The parents were charged in connection to the death of their five-year-old daughter, Saylor Hayes, who was found dead in the Waccamaw River on August 31. Saylor Hayes, who was non-verbal and autistic, was reported missing on August 30 while the family was vacationing on Pawleys Island. She was found after a two-day search. An autopsy performed at the Medical University of South Carolina revealed that Saylor Hayes died of pulmonary edema, a condition where fluid builds up in the lungs. The coroner's office reported no external signs of trauma. The parents were arrested in Tennessee and extradited to South Carolina. During the hearing, counsel for John Hayes III argued that the parents had endured a horrific experience and wanted to fight the charges. Magistrate Steven Pop stated there was no way he would grant a PR bond. Saylor Hayes was supposed to be wearing a Project Lifesaver transmitter, but she was not wearing the device when she wandered off.
Sources
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Autopsy report released for 5-year-old Saylor Hayes after being found dead on Pawleys Island
WYFF
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‘Must be physically cut’: Saylor Hayes should have been wearing tracking device, authorities say
Post and Courier