ion proceedings have been completed. It's not clear when they fled to Tennessee.

4 Geordyn Hayes, Saylor's mom, shared a snap in December 2024 of the family sitting on a wooden bench. Facebook/Geordyn Hayes

Georgetown County Sheriff Carter Weaver lamented Saylor's death after sheriffs revealed her parents had been charged.

 Parents and caregivers have a fundamental responsibility to protect children who cannot protect themselves,  he said.

 When the evidence establishes probable cause to believe that a child has been unlawfully placed in circumstances that endanger that child's safety, law enforcement has a responsibility to act.

 Saylor was a vulnerable five-year-old child who depended upon the adults responsible for her care and protection. She deserved to be safe. She deserved to be protected. 

Saylor's cause of death has not yet been confirmed. An autopsy is set to take place on Friday.

4 Other agencies deployed drones, K-9 units and divers, while crews scanned the waterways near where Saylor went missing. Georgetown County Sheriff's Office/Facebook

But her body had no visible signs of trauma, Chase Ridgeway, the Georgetown County Coroner, said, according to WHSV.

 The cause and manner of death remain undetermined pending the completion of the autopsy and any necessary additional testing,  he added.

Saylor's parents were arrested just hours after Geordyn Hayes paid tribute to her deceased daughter.

She shared an undated picture of Saylor beaming as she came down a slide.

Saylor had a halo above her head and angel wings on each side.

 Mommy's little angel,  the text on the picture said.

Geordyn Hayes also shared clips of Saylor playing on an inflatable water slide.

4 Agents with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources found Saylor's body in the water near where she was last seen, police said. Georgetown County Sheriff's Office/Facebook

She described it as  worry-free entertainment all summer long  for autistic children that are  attracted to water  but can't swim.

Saylor was reported missing just after 12:30 p.m. on Sunday and the mammoth search effort involved drones, K9s, and helicopters fitted with Project Lifesaver equipment.

Cops believed the helicopter would detect the signal from her bracelet, and nearby docks and the Waccamaw shoreline were searched as part of the investigation.

Cops realized Saylor wasn't wearing the transmitter when investigators traced the signal to a vehicle, Blake Andis, the Washington County, Virginia, Sheriff, said.

 The transmitter is attached using a specialized band designed for continuous wear,  he said.

 It cannot simply be unclasped or removed by the client; the band must be physically cut in order to remove the transmitter.