This article mentions child abuse. Please read with caution.

Darnell Taylor‘s sad story is a series of missed opportunities that, had adults in Taylor’s life acted differently, could have had a different outcome. It began in 2022, when Ohio police checked on the preschooler while in his mother’s care, and ended when the then 5-year-old was found dead two years later.

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In March 2022, when Taylor was around 3, neighbors called Columbus police, reporting he had been outside in a stroller for more than an hour in cold temperatures late at night. The police responded to the call, and Taylor’s mother — whose name has not been released in the press — said she was punishing her son for calling her a bad name, and that he’d only been outside for about five minutes, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

Taylor’s mother also made suicidal and homicidal remarks to the police during that visit, and was taken into custody for a mental health evaluation. Taylor, meanwhile, was placed in the custody of his grandparents, Anthony and Tawanda Baynes. The little boy reportedly proved too much for them to handle, so they turned to a family friend, Pammy Maye, for help. By the summer of 2023, Maye had legal custody of the boy, but in Feb. 2024, Maye’s husband called 911: Taylor and Maye were missing.

Where was Darnell Taylor found?

According to the Columbus news outlet, 10TV.com, Pammy Maye’s husband said his wife covered his mouth and told him “she had a plan” before she took Darnell Taylor and vanished. Maye’s husband said he feared Taylor was no longer alive, and an Amber alert was issued. Days later, Maye was found wandering in a Cleveland suburb in a nightgown. A short time later, Taylor was found dead in a sewer drain. His cause of death was suffocation, and Maye was charged with Taylor’s murder.

Taylor’s grandparents referred to Maye, who was 48 when Taylor died, as “a family friend.” Reportedly, she lived with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It’s unclear whether Taylor’s grandparents or the authorities were aware of her mental health conditions when Maye was granted custody.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that Maye pleaded not guilty for mental health reasons, and as of the Dispatch‘s report, she was being held in a secure psychiatric facility. Her motive for killing Taylor was unclear. If convicted, Maye could spend the rest of her life in prison with no chance of parole.

Referring to Taylor’s death, Maye’s defense attorney, Samuel Shamansky, said, “This is going to be a mental health case through and through.”

If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or if you believe someone you know is being abused, contact The National Domestic Violence Hotline. The hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-SAFE or spoken with online via the hotline’s website. Mobile phone owners can also text “START” to the number 88788.