South Carolina Couple Jailed Over 4-Year-Old's Death

Two young parents in Aiken County now face murder charges after detectives concluded their toddler, previously listed as missing, had already died.

South Carolina Couple Jailed Over 4-Year-Old's Death

Two young parents in Aiken County now face murder charges after detectives concluded their toddler, previously listed as missing, had already died.

Michilae Herring, 22, and Johmarea Harris, 23, were placed in handcuffs on Saturday. They stand accused of causing the death of their daughter Javeayah, aged four, and of lying to police about what happened.

The county's top law enforcement official, Sheriff Marty Sawyer, delivered the bleak news at a media briefing. He called it the heartbreaking end everyone had been dreading.

Javeayah had been listed as missing since Tuesday night. That report triggered a sweeping hunt involving multiple agencies. Search teams covered vast stretches of terrain over several days during a brutal heatwave, with thermometers pushing toward triple digits.

By Friday, officials acknowledged that public-facing search efforts would taper off. They stressed, however, that the hunt behind closed doors would carry on.

Detectives now estimate the child lost her life approximately thirty days prior. A hunt for her body is underway in territory outside Aiken County. State-level investigators have joined the effort, deploying an aerial unit to the Great Falls zone in Union County.

Locals residing near the search perimeter informed journalists they had not laid eyes on Javeayah in months. A nearby church had served as the operational nerve center throughout the ordeal.

Both suspects are currently housed at the county jail. Their mugshots have not been distributed.

Those with tips can ring 803-502-5200 or dial emergency services.

Source: WRDW/WAGT via NBC29

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)