Gruesome new details emerge as missing 4-year-old's dumped remains found: 'Truly sickened'
Disturbing new details have emerged in the case of a 4-year-old South Carolina girl cops claim was abused to death by her parents, who allegedly dissolved her body in chemicals and dumped her remains in a local reservoir before falsely reporting her missing.
Investigators announced Thursday they found partial remains of Javeayah Harris in Cedar Creek Reservoir after an exhaustive, multi-agency search effort involving more than 200 first responders.
The little girl’s parents, Johmarea Harris and Michilae Herring — who were arrested July 4 and have been charged in her death — allegedly reported the girl missing from her Aiken home June 30.
“Personally, there are some very harsh words that I would like to use about Johmarea and Michilae and their actions. But I will not do that, and I will not do that to protect and maintain the integrity of this case,” Aiken County Sheriff Marty Sawyer told reporters Thursday in a press conference confirming Javeayah’s remains had been identified.
“But I will tell you this. I will not refer to them as mom and dad, or mother or father. They don’t deserve that title.”
He claimed Harris and Herring “went to great lengths to cover their repulsive and revolting actions.”
“Our information reveals the use of corrosive chemicals and other tools that were used to accelerate the destruction of her little body,” he said.
Sawyer admitted even he was shaken by the depravity of the crime.
“In my 37-year career in law enforcement, I have never, ever, heard of anything so horrific,” he said.
Sawyer said it’s believed Javeayah may have been dead for at least a month before Herring allegedly called 911 to report the girl’s disappearance, and that it’s unlikely any additional remains will be found.
“We had all hoped and prayed to find her body, but with the information we’ve uncovered… that’s simply not possible,” he said.
Arrest warrant documents obtained by WBTV claim Harris and Herring admitted they didn’t seek medical attention after Javeayah suffered an unspecified injury during an alleged assault by Herring.
Both were charged with homicide by child abuse and destruction and desecration of human remains, Sawyer said. Herring was hit with an additional charge of filing a false police report.
They were both denied bond in separate July 5 hearings and were found not to qualify for court-appointed attorneys. Information about whether they had obtained private counsel was not immediately available.
Because the local jurisdiction lacked the authority to rule due to the severity of the charges, their bonds are now being transferred to a circuit court judge who will have 30 days to make a decision.
Herring and Harris are both set to appear in court Sept. 18, News19 reported.