Aiken County investigators said 4-year-old Javeayah Harris had been dead for at least one month before she was reported missing.
AIKEN, SC — A dayslong search for 4-year-old Javeayah Harris became a homicide case Saturday after Aiken County Sheriff Marty Sawyer said evidence shows the girl is dead and had been dead before her parents reported her missing.
Authorities arrested Javeayah’s parents, 23-year-old Johmarea Harris and 22-year-old Michilae Herring, after a search that drew local, state and federal agencies to Aiken County. Sawyer said investigators believe the child had been dead for at least one month. Harris was charged with homicide by child abuse. Herring was charged with homicide by child abuse and filing a false police report. Officials said more charges may follow.
Sawyer announced the arrests during a Saturday morning briefing at the Aiken County Government Center, four days after Herring called 911 to report her daughter missing. “This is the hardest announcement in my 36 years working in law enforcement,” Sawyer said. “I am deeply saddened to tell you our investigation and evidence leads us to believe 4-year-old Javeayah Harris is deceased.” The sheriff said the discovery was “the outcome we all feared,” but he said the search was not over. Investigators were still trying to recover Javeayah’s body Saturday and were working in an area outside Aiken County.
The case began Tuesday night, June 30, when Herring called authorities just after 8:45 p.m. to report that Javeayah was missing. She told deputies she last saw the child around 8 p.m. in a chicken coop, playing with chickens near the family’s home in the area of Hillsboro Street and Ridgecrest Road. The child was described at the time as 3 feet 6 inches tall and about 40 to 42 pounds, with braided hair and pink beads. Deputies said she was believed to be wearing pink Minnie Mouse pajamas and Crocs.
Deputies, firefighters and other agencies quickly filled the neighborhood. The search grew into a large operation with roadblocks, drones, helicopters, search dogs, door-to-door checks and interviews. Bethel Baptist Church served as a command post as crews moved through nearby streets, wooded areas and yards. By Friday afternoon, crews had covered about 5,000 acres. Deputies stopped vehicles near Pipeline Road and Reynolds Pond Road and questioned drivers leaving the Shiloh Heights area. Officials said they also reviewed information from neighbors, surveillance sources and family interviews.
Before his arrest, Johmarea Harris told a local television station that his daughter did not usually run away and was friendly with people. He said he had been at a laundromat and a convenience store before returning home around 9 p.m. Tuesday, when he saw police near the house. He also said he had given detectives information about people he claimed had been “snooping around the house lately.” Authorities have not said what evidence led them to conclude Javeayah died weeks before the missing-child report, and they have not released a cause or manner of death.
On Friday, the sheriff’s office said visible search efforts would be reduced, but the investigation would continue. The statement came after several days of searching during extreme summer heat, with temperatures near 100 degrees. Officials said they had not found Javeayah despite “comprehensive and coordinated efforts.” The FBI, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the Aiken Department of Public Safety, North Augusta Public Safety, emergency management officials and several sheriff’s offices assisted in the search. Sawyer said Saturday that SLED also helped as investigators focused on an area of interest outside Aiken County.
Sawyer said the child’s extended family had been told about the investigation and asked the public to respect their privacy. He thanked agencies across South Carolina, volunteer fire departments and community members who brought food, water and support during the search. Neighbors near the search area told local reporters they had not seen Javeayah in months. Digital billboards had shown her picture while the case was still being handled publicly as a missing-child search. The sheriff said the effort to find her would continue even though investigators no longer believe she is alive.
Herring and Harris were booked into the Aiken County Detention Center. Jail records listed the child-abuse homicide charges, while Herring also faced the false-report charge. Officials had not released booking photos by Saturday afternoon. Sawyer said investigators were still working the case and that additional charges could be filed. The investigation remains active, and authorities have not said when the suspects will make their first court appearances or whether they have attorneys.
The search for Javeayah’s remains was still underway Saturday, July 4. Sawyer said the 911 call came too late to save her, but he said investigators were still using law enforcement resources “to bring her home.”
Author note: Last updated July 4, 2026.