A 19-year-old babysitter is facing a murder charge after police searching for an 11-month-old Kentucky boy reportedly found his bruised body concealed inside a couch.
Elijah Mayes had been responsible for watching Grayson Walton while the infant’s father was at work, according to investigators, when the child disappeared.
Police allege that Mayes then created a false account to explain what had happened to the baby.
Investigators say he set up a fake phone number and exchanged messages with himself while posing as a woman he claimed had come to collect Grayson.
Authorities believe the alleged messages were designed to create a misleading trail and support a false alibi.
The search ended at a home in Cleaton, Kentucky, where officers reportedly discovered Grayson’s body hidden inside a couch, according to court documents obtained by local media.
Police said the infant had bruising across his body and what appeared to be bite marks on his stomach.
Grayson died only two weeks before his first birthday.
Elijah Mayes, 19, had been caring for Grayson Walton while the baby’s father was at work
Police reportedly discovered 11-month-old Grayson dead and hidden inside a couch at a Cleaton, Kentucky, home
The disturbing case began shortly after 5 p.m. on September 12, when officers with the Central City Police Department were called to a residence.
Grayson’s father told police he had been looking for his son and said Mayes had been caring for the child while he was at work.
Detectives then questioned Mayes about the infant’s whereabouts.
According to police, Mayes claimed that a “family friend” had picked up Grayson at about 10 p.m. the night before, on September 11.
Officers found and interviewed the woman, but her account allegedly contradicted the babysitter’s explanation.
Central City police said officers “located and interviewed that individual, who stated that she had not picked up the child.”
Investigators also spoke with one of Grayson’s relatives, who said the baby had last been seen with Mayes on September 11 at another property in nearby Cleaton.
During an initial search of the home on Harrison Street, police allegedly found a substance they believed to be methamphetamine.
Investigators said Grayson had bruises over his body and apparent bite marks on his stomach
The infant was reportedly just two weeks short of his first birthday when he died
The investigation then shifted to the Cleaton property.
Officers obtained another search warrant and entered the home where the missing baby was found dead.
Court records seen by Fox 56 state that the child’s body had been concealed inside a couch.
Mayes was arrested and now faces a string of serious charges including murder, first-degree criminal abuse, tampering with physical evidence, abuse of a corpse and possession of a controlled substance.
He pleaded not guilty last Thursday and remains jailed at the Muhlenberg County Detention Center as the case against him moves through the courts with a court appearance scheduled for Wednesday.
The investigation also led to a second arrest.
Grayson’s step-grandfather, Jeff Barnett, was charged with tampering with physical evidence following Mayes’ arrest.
Barnett’s listed address matches the Cleaton property where the baby’s body was discovered.
Authorities have not publicly detailed the precise allegation underlying Barnett’s tampering charge.
Grayson’s step-grandfather Jeff Barnett was later arrested on a charge of tampering with physical evidence
The devastated community rallied around Grayson’s family, with one mourner holding a banner demanding: ‘Justice for Grayson’
Mourners gathered for a candlelight vigil where residents urged people to ‘speak his name’ and never forget him
Grayson was remembered as an adorable, happy little boy who loved playing with other children and ‘never met a stranger’
Residents gathered for a candlelight vigil on Thursday night, determined the baby at the center of the horrifying case would be remembered for more than just the circumstances of his death.
Vigil organizer Georgina Sailing said she hoped ‘justice is served’ for Grayson and his devastated loved ones.
‘We’re getting his name out there,’ Sailing told WBKO. ‘My whole thing is, speak his name. Don’t let him be forgotten.’
‘He loved the water. He was always happy — he loved playing with other kids,’ his obituary reads. ‘He never met a stranger.’
A GoFundMe has been set up to raise funds for the baby’s funeral and the cost of a headstone.
