Grim new information has surfaced in the death of a 4-year-old South Carolina girl, whose parents are accused by authorities of fatally abusing her, using chemicals to dissolve her body, and discarding her remains in a nearby reservoir before allegedly filing a false missing-person report.
Officials said Thursday that partial remains belonging to Javeayah Harris were recovered from Cedar Creek Reservoir following an extensive search that brought together multiple agencies and more than 200 first responders.
Javeayah’s parents, Johmarea Harris and Michilae Herring, were arrested on July 4 and charged in connection with her death. Authorities said they had reported the child missing from her Aiken home on 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 said during a Thursday news conference announcing that the remains had been identified as Javeayah’s.
“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.”
Sawyer said Harris and Herring allegedly made extensive efforts to conceal what he described as “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.
The sheriff acknowledged that the brutality of the case had deeply affected even him.
“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.
