Javeayah Harris: Parents Charged After Investigators Say 4-Year-Old Was Dead for a Month Before She Was Reported Missing
The mother and father of a missing 4-year-old girl have been arrested and charged with homicide by child abuse, and according to deputies, the child had been dead for about a month before her mother ever called 911.
Javeayah Harris was reported missing from her home near Hillsboro Street and Ridgecrest Road in Aiken County on Tuesday, June 30, 2026.
This missing person report led to a huge search with more than 200 first responders, the FBI, helicopters, drones, and dogs combing thousands of acres.
The heat index was pushing near or above 100 degrees during those days, which made the urgency even greater, but sadly, she was never found.
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| Javeayah Harris |
According to Aiken County Sheriff Marty Sawyer, every possible resource was deployed into finding her.
“We put every resource available to find Javeayah and bring her home safely,” Sawyer said.
“Sadly, it was already too late to save her the moment the 911 call came in on June 30. At this time, our investigation supports that she has been deceased for at least one month,” he added.
Also, on Friday, July 3, 2024, the sheriff’s office said the large search operation would reduced because they believed the young girl was dead.
The next day, July 4, investigators arrested Javeayah’s parents, Johmarea Harris and Michilae Herring in connection to the child's death.
The mother was also charged with filing a false police report. Both parents had bond hearings on Sunday, July 5, and a judge denied bond for each of them.
A conviction for homicide by child abuse in South Carolina comes with a prison sentence of 20 years to life, while the false police report charge can bring up to five years in prison or a $5,000 fine.
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| Johmarea Harris |
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| Michilae Herring |
Arrest warrants obtained on Monday, July 6, gave more details about what investigators believe happened, as per WBTV.
According to those documents, both parents confessed that the little girl suffered an injury during an assault by Herring and that they did not get medical help for her afterward.
Authorities believe the injury took place sometime between May 1 and June 15. However, it is still not clear what exactly led up to the assault or what type of injury she had.
When Javeayah was reported missing, she was described as 3 feet 6 inches tall and weighing about 42 pounds, and she was last seen in Minnie Mouse pajamas with pink beads in her braided hair.
Court records show the family lived on Harris Street in Union County from 2024 into 2025, and both parents were named in separate eviction cases during that time.
Additionally, neighbors on Harris Street said they hardly ever saw the family.
As of now, Javeayah’s body has not been found. The search for her remains is still going on, and the investigation has moved beyond Aiken County into parts of the Upstate, as reported by Fox Carolina News.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is helping with the case, and anyone with relevant information connected to this case is asked to call SLED’s tip line.
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