Parents arrested as sheriff says Javeayah Harris is deceased

Aiken County Sheriff Marty Sawyer said Saturday that investigators believe 4-year-old Javeayah Harris is deceased, and her parents have been arrested in connection with her death. The July 4 announcement shifted a case that began as a missing-child search near Hillsboro Street and Ridgecrest Road in South Carolina into a homicide investigation still seeking her remains.

Key Takeaways

• Javeayah Harris, 4, was reported missing on June 30 after she was last seen around 8:15 p.m. near Hillsboro Street and Ridgecrest Road.
• On July 4, Sheriff Marty Sawyer said evidence led investigators to believe she is deceased and had been dead for about a month.
• Her parents, Johmarea Harris and Michilae Herring, were arrested in connection with her death.
• Authorities are searching for her remains in an area outside Aiken County; the tip line remains (803) 502-5200.
• A multi-agency search had covered thousands of acres before the case turned, as covered in our True Crime & Unsolved Mysteries section.

What happened to Javeayah Harris?

Javeayah Harris disappeared from her family's home in Aiken County on the evening of Tuesday, June 30. According to WJBF, deputies said she was last seen around 8:15 p.m. near Hillsboro Street and Ridgecrest Road.

She was described as 3 feet, 6 inches tall, about 42 pounds, wearing pink Minnie Mouse pajamas, pink beads in her braided hair, and possibly Crocs. WACH reported she had been missing since that Tuesday night when the large-scale search began.

Who has been arrested in the Javeayah Harris case?

At a July 4 press conference at the Aiken County Government building, Sheriff Sawyer announced that investigators believe Javeayah Harris is deceased. WRDW reported that her parents, Johmarea Harris and Michilae Herring, were arrested in connection with her death.

Sawyer said evidence indicated the child had been deceased for roughly a month before she was reported missing. Investigators are searching for her remains in an undisclosed location outside Aiken County.

How did the search for Javeayah Harris unfold?

Local, state, and federal agencies launched an intensive search after the June 30 report. WJBF said the Aiken County Sheriff's Office, FBI, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and South Carolina Highway Patrol joined the effort, using ground crews, helicopters, and drones.

By Friday, WRDW reported that organized search activity would be reduced and roadblocks near the scene had ended, though officials stressed the search would not stop. WACH noted more than 3,000 acres had been searched before the July 4 update.

Earlier in the week, Sheriff Sawyer told reporters the working theory was that Javeayah wandered away on her own. That narrative changed after further interviews and evidence review, WRDW reported.

What should the public do now?

Authorities continue to ask anyone with information to call the Aiken County Sheriff's Office tip line at (803) 502-5200 or dial 911. WJBF urged residents not to enter active search areas, which could interfere with the investigation.

WRDW also noted the sheriff's office set up a website for residents to submit surveillance video. The July 4 briefing was scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at 1930 University Parkway in Aiken, according to WACH.