Geordyn Hayes, 31, the mother of Saylor Hayes, a 5-year-old autistic girl whose body was recovered from a pond on Pawleys Island, South Carolina, has faced multiple child abuse and endangerment charges, according to documents. Her daughter's death is currently under investigation.
In February 2026, Hayes was charged with one count of abuse of a child and disregard to life, and one count of cruelty and/or injury to a child. The first charge was initially classified as a felony but was amended to a misdemeanor delinquency of a minor charge. Hayes entered a deferred disposition plea, a legal process where charges may be dismissed if specific conditions, such as probation, are met. Her next court date is scheduled for August 2027. The charge of cruelty or injury of a child was dismissed without prejudice, meaning it could be refiled at a later date.
These documents do not specify the identity of the child allegedly abused in those prior charges, and Hayes has not been charged in connection with her daughter Saylor's death.
Saylor Hayes vanished on Sunday after wandering from her family's rental home. An urgent search was initiated around nearby bodies of water. Her body was discovered on Monday morning in a waterway near where she was last seen. The Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office stated that the investigation into the tragedy is ongoing, and no arrests have been made.
Saylor was autistic and non-verbal. She had previously been fitted with a Project Lifesaver tracking device due to her tendency to wander, but she was not wearing the device when she went missing. The tracker band was later found in Washington County, Virginia, where the family is from. Sheriff Blake Andis noted that the tracking system is a voluntary program and emphasized the importance of enrolled individuals consistently wearing their transmitters, suggesting that the technology could have aided search teams in locating Saylor sooner had she been wearing it.
The search for Saylor involved multiple agencies, including drones, divers, K-9 units, helicopter crews, and local volunteers. Neighbors attempted to help by walking pets and playing music from an ice cream truck in the hopes of attracting the child.
Georgetown County Coroner Chase Ridgeway confirmed an autopsy is scheduled. Preliminary reports indicate no visible signs of trauma on the body, but the cause and manner of death remain undetermined pending further testing. The family was on vacation in South Carolina at the time of the incident. Hayes's husband, John Hayes, 70, has previously shared videos of his family life on TikTok.
"The Georgetown County Sheriff's Office thanks everyone who assisted in the search and sends its deepest condolences to the young girl's family," said Sheriff's spokeswoman Heather Pelham in a statement.