Police believe they have found the body of 5-year-old Darnell Taylor, who went missing and prompted a statewide Amber Alert in Ohio earlier this week. The body was discovered in a sewage drain in Franklin County, near his hometown of Columbus.
The Amber Alert was issued on Wednesday after Darnell’s foster mother, Pammy Maye, made alarming statements to her husband, leading him to believe that Taylor was harmed or in danger before disappearing. Maye was identified as a suspect, and the public was urged to report any information on her whereabouts.
On Thursday night, the police received a 911 call reporting a suspicious woman near a commercial building. Brooklyn, Ohio, police responded, identified the woman as Maye, and took her into custody, as reported by Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant.
Maye was later taken to a Cleveland hospital for medical treatment, where she disclosed the location of Taylor’s body to officers, according to Bryant. Maye has been charged with kidnapping and endangerment, with authorities working to add murder charges. She will be transferred back to Franklin County.
The biological family has been informed of the tragic discovery, and police indicate that the parents had been fostering the child since May 2023.
“This is not the outcome that we wanted, but we’re going to make sure that we do everything that we can to bring justice for Darnell,” Bryant stated.
