A 19-year-old man in Kentucky has been charged with murder after authorities say he lied about the whereabouts of the 11-month-old boy he was supposed to be watching, before the infant was later found dead.
Elijah Drew Mayes was taken into custody and charged with murder, first-degree criminal abuse, tampering with physical evidence, and abuse of a corpse in connection with the death of Grayson Walton, officials said.
According to a press release from the Central City Police Department, officers responded around 5:10 p.m. on Sept. 12 to a reported “disturbance” at a home in the 800 block of Harrison Avenue, roughly 185 miles west of Lexington.
When first responders arrived, Grayson’s father told them his son “was supposed to be in the care of Elijah Mayes while he was at work.” Mayes initially told police someone else had picked up the child, but that account quickly unraveled.
“During an interview at the scene, Mayes told officers that a family friend had picked up the child at approximately 10:00 p.m. on Friday, September 11,” the release states. “Officers located and interviewed that individual, who stated that she had not picked up the child.”
A relative of the victim then told investigators that the last time they saw Grayson, he was with Mayes around 10 p.m. at a home in the 300 block of Hillview Street in Cleaton on Sept. 11.
After conducting further interviews, investigators obtained a search warrant for the Harrison Avenue home and a vehicle on the property. During that search, officers said they discovered what they believed to be methamphetamine.
A second search warrant was then obtained for a residence and vehicle on Hillview Street, about four miles southeast of the first location. Officers searching that home found Grayson dead inside.
Authorities have not released information about the infant’s cause of death.
Mayes was arrested and booked into the Muhlenberg County Detention Center. Beyond the charges tied to Grayson’s death, he is also facing one count of possession of a controlled substance.
It remains unclear when Mayes is scheduled to appear in court. Police said the investigation is ongoing and that multiple federal, state, and local agencies assisted in the case.