|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
GEORGETOWN COUNTY, S.C. (BFMG) — Authorities are revealing new details about the arrest and prior history of a couple charged in connection with the death of their young daughter, including previous child welfare involvement and allegations involving drug use and child neglect.
John Herb Hayes III, (70), and Geordyn Nichole Hayes, (31), were arrested Monday night in Carter County, Tennessee, after South Carolina authorities alerted deputies that the couple was wanted on felony warrants (.pdf) and was believed to be traveling to a residence on Marion Branch Road.
According to Carter County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) reports, (.pdf) deputies were told the couple would be traveling in a black SUV with Texas license plates. Deputies conducting surveillance spotted a black GMC matching that description and followed it to a residence.
Geordyn Hayes was found on the passenger side of the vehicle, while John Hayes was sitting in the driver’s seat, according to the reports. Deputies confirmed the South Carolina warrants and that authorities there intended to extradite both suspects.
Both were taken into custody without incident and transported to the Carter County Detention Center (CCDC), where they were charged in Tennessee with being fugitives from justice for crimes allegedly committed in another state. Carter County records identify Geordyn Hayes as 31 and John Hayes as 70.
The South Carolina warrants charge each parent with unlawfully placing a child at risk of harm, causing harm or willfully abandoning a child. They are being held without bond pending extradition proceedings.
The arrests followed the discovery of their daughter’s body near Hagley Landing after an extensive search involving hundreds of people and multiple agencies.
Previous child welfare investigation
Court and law enforcement records obtained from Washington County, Virginia, show the couple had been the subject of an earlier child welfare investigation involving two other young children.
According to a 2023 criminal complaint (.pdf) from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO), the Washington County Department of Social Services removed a 2-year-old girl and a 1-year-old boy from John Hayes and Geordyn Hayes after hair follicle testing of the children.
The complaint states that one child tested positive for methadone, while the other tested positive for methamphetamine and methadone. Investigators wrote that DSS also tested the parents, with John Hayes allegedly testing positive for methadone and Geordyn Hayes allegedly testing positive for methamphetamine and methadone.
The parents told investigators they did not know how the children had been exposed to the substances, according to the complaint. The investigator also noted a recent history of calls to the residence in which the couple had allegedly accused each other of methamphetamine or other drug use.
John Hayes was subsequently charged in Virginia with two felony counts under a child abuse and neglect statute. (.pdf) The warrants alleged that, while responsible for the care of the children, he committed or allowed acts or omissions so serious as to demonstrate a reckless disregard for human life.
Additional case involving Geordyn Hayes
Records also show Geordyn Hayes faced separate child-related charges in Washington County earlier this year.
A February 2026 criminal complaint (.pdf) says deputies responded to a call involving a man trying to locate his wife after her vehicle ran out of gas. A deputy wrote that Geordyn Hayes was found in the driver’s seat with a juvenile in the vehicle.
According to the complaint, the deputy said Hayes was highly agitated, had difficulty standing still, appeared unsteady and had pupils that were dilated and nonreactive to light. The deputy wrote that the observations were consistent with possible narcotics impairment.
The complaint says the child was in the back seat of the vehicle with no heat running while the outside temperature was about 35 degrees.
Virginia court records show (.pdf) Hayes was charged with felony child abuse or neglect and a separate felony count related to endangering a child while in her custody.
One of those charges was later ordered nolle prosequi, meaning prosecutors declined to proceed with it at that time, according to the court paperwork. Another court order indicates a related charge was continued under an agreement that contemplated dismissal if Hayes complied with court-imposed conditions.
The earlier cases provide additional context to what investigators are now examining as South Carolina authorities continue their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the couple’s daughter.
The current South Carolina charges are accusations, and both John and Geordyn Hayes are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
The couple remains behind bars at the Carter County Detention Center (CCDC) without bond and are scheduled to appear before a judge related to extradition on Wednesday morning at 9:00 AM.
