COLUMBUS, OH – An Amber Alert ended in tragedy this Friday when investigators discovered the body of a missing 5-year-old boy, Darnell Taylor. Columbus police broke the grim news at a morning press conference, announcing their belief that the recovered body is that of the missing child.
Young Darnell had been missing since Wednesday. The tragic discovery, currently suspected to be a homicide, took place on Mardale Lane, Franklin, according to Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant. The Associated Press reports the body was located in a sewer.
Authorities found 48-year-old Pammy Maye, in Brooklyn, Ohio, near Cleveland, and placed her under arrest. More updates are expected as the investigation unfolds.
Earlier occurrences date back to Wednesday morning when an Amber Alert was issued, revealing that Darnell was taken from a residence on Reeb Avenue, Columbus. A 911 call punctuated the suspense during a news conference on Thursday, in which a man, presumed to be Maye’s husband, claimed she may have murdered the child, stating: “My wife just…she killed our foster child.”
Security footage subsequently released by the Columbus Police shows a gray jeep, assumed to be driven by Maye. The investigation determined that she left the Reeb Avenue residence in a gray 2015 Jeep Cherokee bearing the Ohio license plate JIGGZII. Darnell, who has black hair and brown eyes, was last seen wearing Spiderman pajamas and white boots.
The vehicle was found on Wednesday around 6 a.m. in Brooklyn, Ohio, near Cleveland, but Maye and Darnell were missing, according to sources in Columbus. Maye is now facing charges of kidnapping and child endangerment.
While the search for Darnell has come to an unfortunate conclusion, police still urge the public to come forward with any additional information related to the case.