439: Saylor Hayes: 5-Year-Old Died in SC, Parents Arrested and Their Shady Past Becomes Exposed

Sailor Hayes, the five-year-old girl, found dead in South Carolina earlier this week. "I need a look for it. I can't give you one." "It's on the water!" Authority say Sailor was nonverbal and had autism. "Well, I'm just praying. I don't really know that she's somewhere." Sailor's parents failed to provide supervision. "Please, be back out. She's gone. I'm going to split the package." Hay true crime besties welcome back to an all-new episode of "Serialist's Wave." Hello, hello, hello, and welcome back to an all-new episode of "Serialist's Wave." With me, your host, Annie Elise, happy Monday. I hope you had a fantastic weekend. You're kick-starting your week off on the right foot, especially because I'm probably about to ruin your entire day, which I hate to do it, but unfortunately, there usually is no other option given the nature of the content that we discuss. Now, the case that I want to share with you today, it's one that's actually happening right now in real time. I briefly touched on it last week in headline highlights on Thursday, which I'm sure most of you know, but headline highlights is my Thursday show where I go through all of the headlines of true crime that's happening that week. I briefly touched on it, asked if you guys wanted the deep dive. You said you did. I have been researching this case like crazy, following it like crazy. I have all of my notes right here. I really just want to run you through the case itself, the timeline, because I think the timeline is actually the most imperative part of this entire situation, and really get your feedback to it, because like I said, it is a case that is happening right now in real time, and new information is coming up pretty often. I wouldn't say every day, but relatively often, and so I would imagine we also will probably be doing an update together soon as well. But if you haven't guessed by now, or well, I mean, I guess you saw the title. So there's no guessing involved. But it's the case of sailor Hayes. Now for those of you who maybe didn't listen to headline highlights last week and don't know even a tiny bit of backstory about this case, first of all, what are you doing? You should be listening to Monday and Thursday episodes, also Tuesday, tend to life episodes. But let me give you a quick background. Like I said, I have all my notes right here, so I'm going to be referring to them throughout the episode. Bear with me. It's not structured. It's not clean, but I wanted to get this episode out fast and just deliver as much of the backstory and information as I possibly could. So again, for those of you who are unfamiliar, let me give you the quick rundown before we get into like the timeline, the details, the shady ass tic-tocks, and everything else that has transpired. So five-year-old sailor Hayes had traveled with her family from Bristol, Virginia to a vacation rental in the Haglia State area of Georgetown County near Polly Island. This is in South Carolina. Now, according to her parents, sailor was nonverbal and autistic. She also really gravitated toward bodies of water. She just loved wandering off. She loved going towards the water, and she kind of had this history of what they call allotment, meaning that she had a known tendency to just wander away from her family, her caregivers, whoever she was with. Just, I don't know if you would call it fiercely independent, but you know, you could call it that. Just really loved doing her own thing, especially loved water. And there were even some tic-tocks that had been made in the past where her mother was posting videos just of how much she did love water, but that she wore safety, precautionary bracelets, and vests, and things like that, because she wasn't obviously a great swimmer. So basically, when she disappeared back on August 30th of 2026, it immediately triggered a massive surge, because everybody was wondering, what happened to this five-year-old little girl? How did she just disappear? If she's autistic and nonverbal, clearly there should be, if not the parents, a caregiver with her the majority of the time. So like, how would she have even had the opportunity to wander off? Like, what's going on? So not only did it spark a lot of interest and quite honestly, a lot of frustration as well, but it triggered a massive surge. A surge involving dozens of volunteers, multiple agencies, different law enforcement divisions, the sheriff's office, the fire department, people from all across the region. And like I said, the case quickly grabbed media attention. It was going viral all over social media. I would imagine even if you don't know the name, Sailor Hayes, immediately, when I say it, if you are an avid Instagram user or TikTok user, chances are you probably saw one of the videos in the feed. More specifically, the video of the mother being talked to while she's on kind of like this dirt path gravel road by a vehicle. She's acting a little bizarre in my opinion, not really seeming all that worried about her missing five year old. And that video, of course, spread like wildfire. So not only was it the community, the region, the close knit area that was keeping an eye out for Sailor and even hearing about this case, but it very quickly went nationwide to where everybody was talking about it. Everybody was trying to help and hundreds of volunteers came together to start searching for Sailor. And also not for nothing, but also not just searching for her, but in a very real sense, trying to be a voice for her as well. Sadly though, it didn't have the ending that everybody had hoped for. And Sailor was recovered from the Walkima River the following morning. And while the community came together to mourn this precious beautiful five year old little girl, people still couldn't help but wonder what really happened here. What was going on between the bizarre interviews, the weird circumstances surrounding her disappearance or quote unquote wandering off moment. There was something weird. There was some odd behavior going on from both of her parents as a matter of fact, and not just from her parents, but at the time of the search and when all of this was happening, but during the search and then even afterward. Now, I have to say, this is one of those cases where the red flags, they started going up for me almost immediately, which is why I was keeping a close eye on it. I was archiving a lot of stuff I was finding on socials. That's why I wanted to talk about it in headline highlights last week. And it just, there was something that was not feeling right here. And I had this feeling just this gut, gut feeling in my core that there was going to be a lot more to the story. And unfortunately, I was right because just one day after Sailor was found, both of her parents were arrested. Now, as you guys know, when I cover cases like this in real time, I want to walk you through the entire timeline, everything we know step by step, then dive into the details too that really matter and that really, to me, illustrate inconsistencies, red flags, and in this situation, a pattern, a pattern of past bad behavior, past child neglect, and who I believe are two very selfish, conniving, evil parents. So with that, now they've given you a little bit of the backstory. You know what happened? You know how she was found? I want to get into the timeline and the details because this is what really, to me, makes this case explode wide open. So let's start at the very beginning. On August 30, around 1139 AM, John Hayes, Sailor's father, called 911 from the river behind the rental home. The rental home was at 76 Old Wakama Drive. And he said that his five-year-old daughter, Sailor, had quote, "escaped" and that he couldn't find her, which very odd choice of words that she, his five-year-old, just escaped. I don't know, doesn't sit right with me already from the jump, but you listen to this call and tell me what you think. Georgetown 2911. I need help, my little four-year-old five-year-old girl. She's very autistic. Just escaped. I met her 76 Wakama Drive. She's took off. I need help. Sign her. Please 76 Wakama Drive as soon as possible. I don't see her anywhere. Is the Old Wakama Drive? Yes. Okay. You said she's five-year-old? Yes. She's autistic. She's very autistic. Okay. She white blocks his senate. Brown hair, green eyes, sh*t. What's she the last wearing, sir? Pixies wearing her bathing suit. What color? Sort of bluish. Sailor! What's her name, sir? Sailor! Sir, what's her name? Sailor. She's bad. She's real bad. What? Okay. Okay. okay okay I'm talking to them right now okay I told them I need to look for I don't I can't give you one yeah I need to go look at the wall I've got to look around man I need I need I need I need I can have these a better location okay okay she doesn't talk she's non-verbal that's the problem does she come does she come to her name if it's all not really half the time not really I don't think she would go out of here so in that call you can hear John explain that the family had been getting ready to go to the beach that he had left sailor buckled behind inside the SUV while he ran back inside the house to grab a few things then he said when he came back sailor was gone which look that's not that unusual on the surface right I will be honest with you there have been times where I'm leaving my house and I have both kids in the car seat and I'm like uh we're in the driveway and I'm like oh shoot I forgot my sunglasses or I forgot their water bottles for school and I'm like okay stay here I'm gonna run back inside I lock the car it's literally in my driveway anyway I live in a gated community it's not you know overly worrisome but I've never come back thank God and they've left and unbuckled themselves and hey you know have wandered off however in this situation and again maybe this is me being a helicopter parent you tell me what you think but if I had a child who was special needs and also nonverbal I would not be leaving them for a moment inside a car even if they were buckled up only because think about it what happened if someone for whatever reason they're at this vacation rental and they're by a river somebody tried to break into the car and she's nonverbal and she can't scream for help or if she something happens inside the car where it wasn't long enough to where she would overheat or get hot but where the buckle clips her on the stomach or you know whatever the reason is that's just the nonverbal piece of it but then taking into account the autism factor and just wanting to provide extra care and oversight for this young five-year-old I don't know again maybe I'm being too helicoptery and too judgy which is absolutely fair but I don't know that even if I had to run back inside to grab something I don't know that leaving her in the car would be my first choice but you know to each their own that I'm not trying to shame him or say he did the absolute wrong thing I just for me personally don't know that that would be the personal choice that I would make so anyway as you heard in the call he called and said she just escaped I can't find her I don't know what's going on I ran inside to grab a few things and when I came back sailor was gone as a parent especially with back to school season here I'm always thinking about whether my kids are actually getting what they need nutritionally because let's be real kids can be very very particular about what they will eat and that's one of the reasons that I love higher their tubal multivitamin has zero sugar and it's made with 15 essential vitamins and minerals plus a blend of 12 organic fruits and vegetables and my kids actually love taking them which as a parent anybody knows you know that's usually half the battle when we first got our jars they came with like these cute sticker packs the kids were so excited to decorate them kind of made the whole buy-in process a lot easier but kind of just eliminated the battle and if bedtime battles and restless nights are struggling your house hi also has a kids bedtime essentials it's not asleep aid it's a non-habit forming chewable with L-theanine B6 G-A-B-A chamomile flower extract magnesium calcium things to really help kids relax before bedtime and wake up feeling rejuvenated and refreshed there are no synthetic hormones like melatonin and there's no sugar you can now find hiya in person at target stores nationwide or order directly from their website with a special deal that we've worked out just for you receive 50% off your first order on any of their products to claim this deal you must go to hiyahealth.com/ae the deal is not available on their regular website so go to hiyahealth.com/ae and get your kids the full-body support they deserve. 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So he said that she had wandered off in quote a split second even though he didn't think that she was gonna leave he's like she still did so it kind of made me wonder okay was there a history we know that they said she had a history of wandering off or as they called it a history of allopment that was the direct quote but did she also have a history of unbuckling herself getting out of her car seat or her booster seat then getting out of a vehicle on her own and again if so all the more reason why you wouldn't leave her independently inside that car but again you know each their own so he said she wanted off in a split second even though he didn't think that she would leave he also emphasized again that sailor was nonverbal which is why finding her now was especially urgent and even while he was on the phone with 911 John said he needed to keep searching because he had to find her kind of just being like you know I've got to keep searching I can't let her go too far I've got to find her I've got to find her which would on it face value sound like a normal panicked parent okay now within a minute a Georgetown County Sheriff's deputy arrived at the home at 1140 a.m. and when he arrived sailors mother Jordan gave a very similar account she said that sailor had been in a child safety seat inside the family's black SUV but that she didn't know where sailor had gone she also said that sailor was known to wander into other vehicles and this I find especially concerning because what do you mean she has a history of going inside other vehicles like full bore unbuckling herself getting out and getting into a stranger's vehicle and again if that is the history why on earth in a place that is unfamiliar to you the or vacationing at I don't care if it was a split second I don't care if it was 30 seconds whatever it was if there is a history of your special needs non-verbal daughter unbuckling herself opening a car door getting out of the car not just wandering off but getting inside another vehicle why would you leave her you know unobserved and you know what not watching over her it just does not make sense to me so like I said from the jump red flag started going off for me but to be honest and to be fair I'm just gonna kind of call it like it is to I didn't know just like I've said earlier I didn't know if in that moment I was being too critical and if I was like you know that's because Annie you're a helicopter parent you wouldn't do it but like stop being so fucking judging on these other people you are not in those circumstances you've never been in those shoes so like give a little bit of grace yet still there were some red flags that I just could not ignore so fast forward a few minutes at 11.46 am John the father remained on the line with 911 he said that he had searched the house but that he couldn't find his daughter and even more than that he said this is really bad which yet is a really bad situation and one that potentially could have been avoided but also yes it is really bad your five-year-old daughter is missing then just 15 minutes later by 12.01 pm it seemed like there was some hopeful movement or some tracking that was going to happen here because the Washington County Sheriff's Office in Virginia had contacted Georgetown County office and they offered sailors project lifesaver frequency to help locate her now if you're like me and have never heard of that before because when I first heard of that I was like what is project lifesaver what it is after I did some digging is I just discovered that sailor had been enrolled in this program since June 2024 and basically what it is is it has you wearing a small transmitting device if you're at risk for wandering now it isn't like find my iPhone or life 360 or an air tag it's something that is physically attached to you that has to be physically removed and that is difficult to remove as well and let me just say this too because again because I had a little bit of confusion of like Okay, well, even if it was a bracelet, you could have ripped it off, things like that. Project lifesaver is going to come up a few times as I break down this timeline with you. So if you're not familiar with this organization or this device, I do wanna give you a little bit more detailed context before we go any further. Because when you understand how this technology works and what it is designed to do, you really can understand just how life-saving and potentially life-changing it can be. So as I said, the device is a small waterproof radio transmitter that is worn as a bracelet or an ankle. And it helps public safety agencies locate people who are at risk of wandering or becoming disoriented. So it's designed for people who have conditions such as Alzheimer's, dementia, autism, Down syndrome, traumatic brain injuries. I mean, particularly those who have a history or a serious risk of wandering off or aloping. And unlike a traditional GPS tracker, the device doesn't rely on cellular or satellite signals. Instead, it continuously emits a unique radio frequency signal that trained search teams can use certain specialized equipment to detect and then track. So you never have the fear of being offline or out of range or anything like that. And because project lifesaver uses radio frequency instead of the cellular service, that means it also can still work in places where there is virtually little to no cell phone coverage, like remote areas, wooded areas, riverbeds, things like that. Trained law enforcement and rescue teams are then using directional receivers to pick up that individual's unique signal on the ground. And that signal can generally be detected from roughly a mile away, potentially even farther away when the receiver is mounted on a vehicle or on an aircraft. So the program is typically managed through a sheriff's office, police department, or fire EMS agency. But those agencies also maintain the equipment and usually they check the device monthly and replace the battery if ever needed. So according to the 911 dispatch calls, Sailor's battery had reportedly been changed by the county sheriff's office just three months earlier. So relatively fresh battery, nothing that would indicate that it's going not even offline 'cause that's not the right word to use, but that they wouldn't be able to track it. So around 12.07 PM, which this is like literally 25 minutes after that 911 call was made, very, very fast. So at 12.07 PM, Georgetown County deputies went to retrieve the project, lifesaver equipment and then use that equipment to search for Sailor. In addition to the law agencies that were already deployed, the volunteers that were starting to come out, which again, at this point it was very, very early, but still they already were deploying different search efforts. Which again, I know I just said it, but I wanna mention how incredible it is that all of this went down within like 20 minutes of that 911 call. So police started searching near the rental property where her family was staying while Georgetown County deputies, including canine units along with midway fire rescue crews, all began searching the water and the coastline by foot and by boat. We knew they knew, I should say, not we knew, they knew that she had this desire and history of being attracted to water and that that was of comfort to her. So they knew that they needed to search the water and the coastline. About a half hour later, around 12.38 PM, a reverse 911 call was issued and multiple neighbors began helping with the search. Now a reverse 911 system is basically the opposite of a traditional 911 call. Instead of someone calling the emergency service line for help, police, emergency dispatchers or local officials will use the system to send out alerts directly to the people who are in a specific area. Kind of how, you know, if you've ever received an amberlar on your phone because it's nearby and in close proximity, similar to that, it's like a reverse alert where it can go out by phone call, text or email. So they sent that out around 12.38 PM about an hour after the 911 call was made. So in Saylor's case, authorities used that system to very quickly notify people nearby that she was missing and try to get the community involved as quickly as possible in this search. Then right before 1 PM, Georgetown County officials notified the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, which then they offered its dive team to start looking at more in the bodies of water because at that point, they were only by boat on foot and they needed people going fully submerged in water. A few hours passed and at 2.50 PM, the Horry County dive team told Georgetown County officials that they were heading to the rental property. At 3.10 PM, a helicopter that was equipped with the Project Life Saver technology arrived from the Charleston County Sheriff's Office so that they could scan the area. Georgetown County had also requested that the helicopter come after its own equipment apparently failed to detect Saylor's frequency. So they weren't sure if they needed to troubleshoot their equipment, what was going on. They knew though that they didn't want to lose any more time. So they called in the Charleston County Sheriff's Office with their helicopter to help assist in tracking her Project Life Saver alert band. Then around 3.20 PM, the Horry County Divers arrived and they began searching the area near the docks around the river and by 4.15, they had searched roughly 200 yards near the rental home. Fast forward about an hour and a half and at 5.47 PM, the Charleston County helicopter returned home unfortunately after failing to detect Saylor's frequency. Now this is a big deal because remember this technology is not only accurate but it doesn't go out. There's not usage problems. There's not cell phone tower obstructions or anything like that. So the fact that now two different county helicopters failed to register the frequency. That was alarming and also kind of a red flag like why are they failing to register it? Is it because the frequency is not in this vicinity and she's already somewhere further away or perhaps was never in the vicinity to begin with? So we had a helicopter in the air trying to get a ping from Miss Saylor's Project Life Saver Monitor while that buddies are on the ground with our Project Life Saver equipment trying to get a ping on the ground as well. Unfortunately, we have not been able to receive any kind of messages from that device that Miss Saylor was allegedly wearing at the time once she disappeared. So then investigators as this was all unfolding and as they were having these realizations, investigators made a major discovery. While searching the family's home back in Bristol, Virginia, which remember they were vacationing here in South Carolina, sure enough they found Saylor's transmitter inside a car on their property, states away. We got information back from Georgetown that evening and they were unable to locate a ping specific to that transmitter. And so, Captain Nichols here initiated our devices. We programmed in the numbers to that particular transmitter and started getting a ping about two miles from that area and then was able to hone in on it specifically right to a vehicle and the transmitter was located. Washington County Virginia law officials say the bracelet is not easily able to be taken off and haze herself would not be able to do so. The bracelet would need to physically be cut off. So this meant that Saylor never had the device with her in South Carolina. It also meant that because of how this device is attached to someone's person, someone had to physically remove it from her. It wasn't like she left an air tag behind or an air tag that is hidden in the sole of your shoe and a shoe is taken off and left behind. Someone had to physically cut this off of her, leave it in Virginia. And here's where I get a little bit pissed off, okay? Because early on in this investigation, the parents were so vocal about this project life saber to all being like she has this search for her, search for her, almost leading them on a wild goose chase, full well knowing that the equipment wasn't there. Because they are the ones who back in Virginia would have had to be the ones to cut it off of her which to where she never even traveled to South Carolina with it. So what is going on here and why are you lying and sending them on this completely different path and search method if you have nothing to hide, right? So again, another red flag and also not for nothing but you would have remembered, of course, removing it before you came on vacation because you do have to physically remove it. But more than that, why would you have removed it? Why would there ever be a need to remove such a device that is supposed to protect your daughter if you're going on vacation? Makes no sense to me. (upbeat music) You know when you reach for something that you love and then suddenly it just like becomes a staple in the rotation and you are reaching for it constantly, well that's me with coins. 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So for a limited time only, our listeners are getting a free month of primal queen plus four free gifts at primal queen.com/ae. That's primal queen.com/ae to get a free month and four free gifts today. After your purchase, they will ask you where you heard about them and please support the show and let them know I sent you. So it was just a nightmare and everything was starting to unravel, which actually happened pretty quickly. So at around 6.40 pm that night, a caller had told 911 that she thought that she had spotted sailor, a little girl who appeared to be around the same height and same age as sailor, which was a hopeful lead, a hopeful tip, but unfortunately it didn't pan out. Throughout the day, at least a dozen neighbors and locals called 911 with potential sightings, with different information, offers to help, and just I think more than anything, probably just optimistic thoughts, thinking that they had seen sailor. And this was the very first time that the public was introduced to Sailor's mom, Jordan. And look, you know, I'm not even gonna comment on the interaction. Like I said, this clip went viral for a very specific reason. If you're listening to the audio version of this, I highly encourage you to watch the YouTube version after this too, just so that you can see the body language, the facial expressions, everything that rolls into it. But I want you to watch and hear this clip and then form your own opinion. She would go into my town, she loves food. She's always going to her fridge. She has kind of like a habit of that. She thought that her community is where you know, thank you. Yeah, we're all trying to know. We looked on the camera, we didn't see her. We saw at 1137, we walked that way and just see when she was missing on the car, you know, and we didn't see her on the camera. We just saw me and my husband going that way to look, who was right when our solar, not the car ran towards the river, you know, only two minutes. So, I don't know, the dog got it this way. I'm getting prayed and I don't know, you know, that she's somewhere and she's fell asleep maybe. Yeah, thank you guys. I'll say she had it. Excuse me, ma'am. Yeah. I'm Scott Harper. We got news in Georgetown. Can I get a couple of comments from you? No, I don't want to say anything. So you can't say what was happening yesterday once you went missing. No, they called for me not the thing. Thank you. So like I said, immediate red flag. However, I am interested to know your first impressions in the comments. So let's go back to the timeline now. Overnight, the sheriff's office had closed the boat landing and they continued searching all throughout the night and on Monday morning. On that Monday morning, which was August 31st, DNR divers searched the water, doing dives, searching, you know, tons of vast body, the vast body of water, continuing to search the coastline and nobody was giving up. And sadly, at around 10 a.m. that morning, sailors body was recovered. The body of Miss sailor As has been found. We found heard about 940 this morning located in the water behind the house. And those are areas that we had searched with an underwater drone last night and with divers yesterday and then the divers we brought out this morning were able to find her in that location. And so as far as the search, it is being completed. We are with the family now and consoling them, letting know what resources there are that are available to them. And we are sorry, sorry for this outcome. No doubt about it. Now, this was obviously a heartbreaking moment for everyone involved. The community, the searchers, the investigators, everyone, because what seemed like such a short finite amount of time, but also potentially hopeful, given that there should have been some sort of tracking system in place, given that they have so many volunteers, so many different search crews. There was just this bubble of hope, I guess you could call it, that people were still holding onto, hopeful that they would find a sailor and that should be alive, but now it devastated everyone. However, as quickly as they found this information out and as devastated as the community was, the community also very quickly started raising some serious eyebrows about the parents. People gathered together here at Hagley Landing to honor the life of five-year-old sailor pace. Dozens came dressed in blue. The color sailor was wearing the day she disappeared. Many carried flowers, a variety of colors and kinds, to place in the water in her memory. Reverend Angela Williams led the group in prayer. Thank you, old God, for the family and we pray for them. We pray for this community who has come together one more time. They came together last week to search for her and this week to say goodbye. One by one, people stepped to the water's edge, setting their flowers afloat. For women who searched for sailor last week, return tonight to honor her. She became our family that day, I think. She seems like she got failed by a lot of people around her in the system and everybody that gathered that day looking for, I feel like she just became part of our family and I hope wherever she is, wherever her soul is, that she knows that she brought people together in love. Welsh was joined by Elizabeth Dockerty, Deanna Davis and Vivian Davis, all four search for hours last week and came back tonight to grieve together. You know, and the day we were looking for her that when I went home, I felt so defeated that we couldn't find her. All I could do is think about her own right now and just pray for her. Take care of your children, everything. Yes. And all of them, they're not maybe not going to be here long and you got to remember them. And I hope we find the answer for what happened. Yes, that is so important for all of us to know just as for her for sure what happened to her. People have said they're goodbyes tonight, but many people say that they are not going to stop fighting until they get justice for sailor. Because you see everybody else who is devastated, distraught beside themselves and you would expect that the parents would have that same type of emotion, that same type of reaction and just be completely devastated. Instead, they were reportedly seen at a local restaurant having what appeared to be a normal conversation and seemingly completely unaffected by what had just happened. Not only the whole situation that had transpired over the previous 36 hours or not even 36 hours, 24 hours, but then the news that sailor had been found. They're just going to the restaurant eating having normal conversation, which again, in this moment, I tried to not be too judgy at first because I was like, everybody has to eat. I'm sure the last thing on their mind is cooking a meal. So maybe they're going to a restaurant and they're eating to keep up their strength, whatever it may be. But then the behavior, the tone and the all around just kind of aura in that atmosphere while they're sitting down and enjoying this meal, something felt off. And so that's when people really started looking more closely at their background. Who are these people? What really is going on inside that house? Do these parents have a history? Is there something shady about them? Would they ever do something malicious intentionally? Let's do a little digging. And suddenly when that happened, you know it's never good when the public turns on people because they will find every single skeleton in your closet. And right when that happened, the case took a very different turn because the truth was these two parents had a pretty checkered past and not only a checkered past with you know a dy or some speeding violations or things like that, but a history of neglect and abuse. Now the first thing that caught people's attention on the surface was that there was a very big age gap between sailor's mom and sailor's father and I want to pull the subject so I'm exactly correct. So her mom Jordan is 31 years old. However, Jordan's husband and sailor's father, John, is 70 to 71 years old. I can't really verify the exact year because of the timing of his birthday, but 31 and 71, a pretty significant age gap. and the sailor was born back in 2021. So Yes, unconventional, it's their relationship, you know, who am I to judge, but 40 years difference between the two of them. And so that already had a lot of people talking, almost kind of thinking, okay, could Jordan have been, you know, groomed, how long were they together, which let me pull this up. I believe to my knowledge, they got, well, they married in 2021 when she was 25 and he was 65. And then they had sailor shortly before marrying because she was born in March of 2021. So not a huge, I mean, well, I don't want to say that. It is a huge age gap, but unconventional, not like the worst thing. If she had been 15 or 16 and then, and he was 40 years older and they got married. And like then maybe there would be more of an open conversation for potential grooming, not to say it couldn't still happen. But anyways, my point is people started talking about the split in their ages. However, that's not what caught everybody's attention so quickly. It was their criminal background that put everything into overdrive because in August of 2023, Jordan and John were each charged with two counts of abuse and neglect of their children. This is after two of their juvenile children tested positive for methadone and methamphetamine. So the Department of Social Services reportedly removed both children from the home. And I also have to say this because I didn't mention it, but just for context, now that we're getting into the criminal background here, when those videos were going viral of Jordan, the mother online while sailor was missing, a lot of people immediately from the jump were accusing her of being on meth and saying, this is what happens when meth happens and things like that. And now, even though it was three years earlier, this would happen in August of 2023, it's our first piece of proof that there was drug use within this couple and that it had affected their children. So like I said, DSS removed the children from the home. According to court documents, a hair follicle test showed that a juvenile girl had tested positive for methadone while a juvenile boy tested positive for methadone and methamphetamine. DSS also tested Jordan and John. Jordan tested positive for methadone and methadone and John tested positive for methadone. Our documents noted that both parents had methadone clinic cards as well, but when investigators asked how their children had been exposed to the drugs, not just the methadone, but the methamphetamines as well, both Jordan and John said they didn't know. Now, that would be the last time that Jordan had to run in with the law. Because just this year, on February 17th, Jordan was also charged with public intoxication. And not only that, but also cruelty to children and abuse and neglect of a child. According to those court documents, Washington County deputies received a call from a man who said that his wife had relapsed on meth and that she might be stranded in her vehicle with a juvenile male. So deputies went out, they located Jordan and this child. The vehicle was reportedly out of gas and the juvenile was sitting in the back of this car with no heat running. The temperature is outside being 35 degrees and the car being locked. The responding officer also documented that Jordan was showing signs consistent with being under the influence of a narcotic during the entire interaction. So they clearly have a past, something that even though the 2023 incident was years ago, clearly there's something that was still going on as early as February of 2026. So I mean, it wasn't a surprise that they were now completely just spotlighted and under the public scrutiny, right? It also wasn't a surprise that when the day after Saylor's body was found, John and Jordan were arrested in Tennessee. They were arrested the very next day on September 1st. Now here's what gets interesting too. They were all the way in Tennessee, which people wondered like, okay, your daughter was just found. Why wouldn't you end the family vacation and go back to Virginia? Why would you go to Tennessee? Were you driving through Tennessee to get to Virginia? Were you going to, I've heard rumblings too of like family being in Tennessee and they were going there. But like, what you're leaving so quickly after her body being found, you're then arrested the following day out of state. It just wasn't looking good. So both of them were charged with unlawfully placing a child at risk, slash willfully abandoning a child in connection with Saylor's case. And again, just them leaving within a 24-hour period feels beyond sketchy to me. Others apparently had been told that the couple might be traveling in a black GMC SUV that had Texas plates and that they might be going to a home on Marion Branch Road in Carver County, which I guess that is close to their family home in Virginia. So deputies spotted the SUV. They followed it into a driveway and there they arrested John and Jordan. They arrested them without incident on fugitive from justice charges. So they were held without bond. The couple appeared for their first derainment and their extradition hearing in Carter County General Sessions Court and a judge asked whether they wanted to contest the extradition. Now most defendants waive that hearing, after which a deadline of typically 10 to 12 days is usually set for South Carolina authorities to come and retrieve them. And that apparently is what is happening here, they're being extradited. And this type of reminiscing, 1-3-8-2-6, if you would like to write a portion of the swears of a troop, a troop, a troop, a troop, a troop, a troop, a troop, a troop, a troop, a troop, a troop. Yes. And we're going to say we were going to have a portion of South Carolina. You're going to use the data on this division, in this way here on this division, you're all right. You're out high on time. You're asking the way they should expect you to stop the lines. That's right. Yes, sir. If you're going to find a 10-day retreat, you don't want to give you a status date of September 14. If you think that's a troop, then we're going to come back in and see what we're out of my understanding from this training office is, whether you intend to ask that quickly, please. I don't want to give you a status. If you're going to start flying a 10-day retreat, you don't want to give you a status date of September 14. If you think that's a troop, then we're going to come back in and see what we're out of my understanding from this training office is, whether you intend to ask that quickly. Please. I shouldn't ask. So on September 4, both of them were booked. And Jordan had some choice words to say to the media. She was lashing out. She was yelling, "Are you a law enforcement?" No, get a life. Get a life. And just very combative. No. No. No. You all in force, but get a life. Why do you lie? Why do you lie? Why do you lie? You got to be a law enforcement. Now that same day, the Georgetown County Coroner's Office. He announced that Sailor's autopsy had been completed. It was completed at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. The autopsy found fluid in her lungs, but the ultimate cause and manner of death remained undetermined, depending the final report that's expected to be in in about eight to ten weeks. Then the following day on September 5, John and Jordan appeared before Georgetown County is a magistrate for a bond hearing. This will be directed to the defendants. Good. I have your full names for the record. Please. John Herbert Aves the third. Jordan, the goal Aves. Very good job. My name is Judge Steve Cobb. I'm a magistrate here in Georgetown County and the purpose of this hearing is to set your bond. It's not to determine your guilt or innocence in these matters. Do you all understand that? Well, sir. Okay. Each of you have been charged with unlawful place in a child at risk or harm or willfully abandon a child. You do have the right to remain silent, and anything you say can be used against you. You have obviously the right to be represented by an attorney. If at some point you cannot afford your attorney, you can apply for the services of the public defender. John's attorney is requested that the couple be released of their own reconnaissance. Arguing that sailors' death was all a tragic accident. John is 71 years old and lives in Bristol, Virginia. He went to some college and he's an investment property. That's basically what he does for a living. He invests in properties and fixes them up and things like that. He's had a long life filled with other jobs and other careers as he's 71 years old. But for right now, that's what he primarily focuses on. They were in town visiting a close friend of John's who was actually at the house that day as well. And your honor as far as record goes, everything that I've talked to John about has been deferred or deferred intervention was taken place on many of the stuff that took place with both of them. But especially with John, you won't see much on his record, especially by way of anything violent. They're not a flag risk judge. They were not told that they couldn't leave when they encountered the police in another state. They went voluntarily. They volunteered to be extra-guided back to this area. They want to fight these charges. They've gone through something horrific and we believe that they're entitled to a reasonable bond judge. And at this moment, they're charged with unlawful neglect of a child, abandoning a child, essentially taking their eye off the child. That's what they're charged with. As far as danger of community goes, John is particularly as one of the focus on. He has no charge where he's ever been a danger to anybody in the community, other than the allegations that they took place with him and his wife with her kid. in that situation, John called CPS, called them to the scene. I mean, these aren't people who are hiding anything or individuals who are going to run or be in danger of the community judge. So we just respectfully request a decent bond that they can get out on them. And they, of course, they have a funeral coming up and they'd like to get out, plan that and deal with the situation 'cause it is a tragedy, you know. - And even going as far as to say that there was no criminal history that these are two loving parents, which I'll talk about here in a moment. But just kind of really fighting for them to be released R and R. But the judge fought back, not only denying the request, but making his position very clear saying, there is no way on earth that I'm gonna let them get granted out on a PR bond, personal reconnaissance, because they do have a criminal history. He also said, I suggest you look into your client, indicating that this lawyer didn't even look up his client's history and just said that, hoping that the judge would take it at face value and believe it, which is pretty unbelievable to me. And you know what? I actually want to read for you, verbatim, the quote that the judge said. He said, well, respectfully, there's no way on this earth that I'm going to grant a PR bond. That's not gonna happen on my watch. Due to the egregious nature of these charges and the past criminal history, which I would advise the attorneys to look into like I have this morning, your bond is denied for both individuals. Have a better day, thank you. Which I just love that he called the attorney out as well as calling these two scumbags out and just kind of being like, you know, no, that's obviously not going to happen. Now what's actually interesting about that whole bond hearing is that John's attorney was retained privately. And basically, he said that he's only representing John. And that can be for a multitude of reasons, but it also could mean that John kind of just left Jordan out there on her own. Maybe flipping on her, maybe cooperating. Who knows, sometimes spouses get separate attorneys, but sometimes they don't. I mean, look at the Emmanuel Harrow case and what happened there. So you can tell in that clip that his attorney sounds at least to me beyond annoyed and even more so that John is kind of distancing himself. But now there are some posts online speculating that John was actually the fit parent and that it was Jordan who is the one responsible for the neglect. I've also seen some posts that John plans to tell the entire truth of the situation. Now how true that is, we don't know, only time will tell. The only thing I've been able to confirm at this time is that his attorney is only representing John. Now obviously, right now the story is still developing and the investigation is ongoing. And I want to be very, very clear that as of right now, sailors' death is considered accidental and John and Jordan are not charged with homicide. Now I assume we won't know if foul play was involved until after the official autopsy is returned in several weeks. Her parents are also due back in court later this month. So I will give you those updates as they become available. But here's where I think the truth lies. And as always, do your own research, form your own opinions. But this little girl was wearing a non-removable band with this transmitting device, a tracker. Her parents knew that she had a tendency to wander off, that she was attracted to water. When she went missing, I could understand the argument that this was accidental, that he made had a lapse in judgment that he made a poor choice. He ran back inside to grab some stuff, came back, and she had wandered off, and she was gone. I could absolutely see that and that it is just an unfortunate series of events. And that coincidentally, they also have history with the law that they have, you know, a past with drugs and child neglect, and but that this was accidental and it wasn't that. I could believe that. If, if, they hadn't said to tracker knowing full well that the tracking band had been physically removed and left back in Virginia. To me, because it has to be physically removed by someone, and it would be the parents who would do that. Because it's not, again, it's not just like a bracelet. It's not a thing that you can just pull off on your own or even have another child. It's literally attached to a non-removable band. Because they lied and said, hey, she has this radio frequency transmitter like locator, tracker, do all of these things, find her. I believe that that was intentional to create misdirection, to create opportunity for them to either get away or for more time to pass to where they wouldn't find her super quickly or whatever the situation would have been. But it feels to me like it was something intentional. So that, and for him to be like, remember, in the '90s, she took off, she wandered off, like she did this on her own or whatever he said, I think that there are too many things with that to where I don't believe it was accidental. And I'm not saying that they walked her to the river, sat her down and allowed her to drown. I don't know if that necessarily is what happened. But I do think that there is something that was intentional about cutting off the tracking band, knowing that she didn't have it when you're in a different state, yet lying to the police, saying that she had it, to send them on that wild goose chase for what? Could they have been struggling because she is special needs and requires so much caregiving that they left the band and they planned, you know, hey, we're gonna go on family vacation. We know she wanders off, we know she goes into water, let's let it happen. And I hate even like assuming that. And I'm not trying to say I assume that. I'm just putting it out there as a, like, could that have been what happened? We also know when drugs are involved, you know, you don't make the best of choices. Surely look at the track record and the pattern here, the fact that two of your children had drugs in their system in the past. And that as recently as February, you were under the influence and had locked your child in a freezing cold car without the heat on. So I don't know. I don't know. It's something that I'm watching very closely. I am curious to know your thoughts. There seems to be something nefarious here. Some element of foul play, now direct homicide. I don't know, manslaughter, possibly neglect that results in death, yeah, perhaps. I don't know what exactly is happening here, but I know now that they have been arrested and now that they are going to scrape the digital footprint and look at phone records, search histories, the communications between the husband and wife before, during, and after sailors' disappearance, that will be illuminating. And we will learn a lot from that. I'm confident that we will. So I'm curious to know your thoughts. What else have you seen? And I don't even know what's happening with these other two kids who are they with? I haven't been able to figure that out either. So I don't know, a lot to consider. And when you think about their age gap, that's curious as well. I don't know, there's something weird here. There's something weird here and I cannot quite pinpoint it yet. So I will be following this one very closely and I will keep you updated. Again, I wanted to at least just jump on here, share everything that we know so far and kind of let you know where we're at and then keep tabs from there. So thank you so much for listening. Thank you for tuning in. Let's hope that we get some real answers soon so there can be justice for little sailor. Thank you guys so much for tuning in to another episode of "Serialistly" with me Annie Elise. Don't forget, follow, subscribe, like, share this episode, do all of the things. I will be back with you on Thursday with headline highlights where we are going through everything happening this weekend through crime. And until then, be nice, don't kill people and just watch your children. All right, bye. [BLANK_AUDIO]