A South Carolina mother and father have been charged in connection with the suspected death of their 4-year-old daughter, who authorities say may have been dead for at least a month before she was reported missing.
Johmarea Harris, 23, and Michilae Herring, 22, are facing charges of homicide by child abuse in the suspected death of Javeayah Harris, according to the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office. Herring also has been charged with filing a false police report.
The case began around 8:45 p.m. Tuesday when Herring called 911 and reported that Javeayah was missing. In an interview with local CBS affiliate WRDW, Herring claimed she had last seen the child about 30 minutes earlier near a chicken coop in the backyard of their home, near Hillsboro Street and Ridgecrest Road in Aiken.
Investigators later said that account was false. “This is the hardest announcement in my 36 years working in law enforcement. I am deeply saddened to tell you our investigation and evidence leads us to believe 4-year-old Javeayah Harris is deceased,” Sheriff Marty Sawyer Jr. said in a statement.
“It is the outcome that we all feared and sadly, it is now what we face and we will face it together as a community.” Authorities have not publicly detailed what evidence led them to believe Javeayah is dead. Sawyer said investigators believe the child had already been dead well before the missing-person report was made.
“Sadly, it was already too late to save her the moment the 911 call came in on June 30th,” Sawyer said. “At this time our investigation supports that she has been deceased for at least 1 month.”
As of Saturday afternoon, investigators were still searching an undisclosed location outside Aiken County. Multiple agencies, including the FBI, have assisted in the search, according to Sawyer.
Neighbors told local WYFF that people in the area had previously been worried about Javeayah’s welfare and had tried to care for her.
“They fed her, bathed her, and gave her new clothes and sent her back home. It wasn’t just me; people in that neighborhood noticed the exact same thing,” one neighbor said.
At a Saturday press conference, Sawyer said investigators remain focused on recovering Javeayah and bringing her home.
“Our search for Javeayah drives on,” he told reporters at a Saturday press conference. “We are continuing to put massive law enforcement resources to work to recover Javeayah and bring her home. We all hoped and prayed to find her alive, but it’s extremely important to bring her home.”
Javeayah was described as “a smart, talkative, and friendly girl” who loved Minnie Mouse and chasing chickens. Harris and Herring remain in the Aiken County Jail without bond. Authorities said additional charges could be filed.