Investigators said 4-year-old Javeayah Harris may have been dead for about a month before she was reported missing.
AIKEN, SC — The parents of a missing 4-year-old South Carolina girl were arrested Saturday after investigators said evidence led them to believe the child is dead, turning a dayslong search into a homicide investigation.
Javeayah Kemauni Harris had been the focus of a large search in Aiken County since Tuesday night, when her mother reported that she had vanished from a home near Hillsboro Street and Ridgecrest Road. Sheriff Marty Sawyer said Saturday that the investigation had shifted after authorities gathered evidence pointing to the child’s death. Her body had not been found, and investigators said the search would continue in an area outside Aiken County.
Sawyer announced the arrests during a Saturday briefing at the Aiken County Government Center. He said Javeayah’s father, 23-year-old Johmarea Harris, was charged with homicide by child abuse. Her mother, 22-year-old Michilae Herring, was charged with homicide by child abuse and filing a false police report. “This is the hardest announcement in my 36 years working in law enforcement,” Sawyer said. “I am deeply saddened to tell you our investigation and evidence leads us to believe 4-year-old Javeayah Harris is deceased.” The sheriff said investigators believe the child had been dead for at least one month.
The case began Tuesday night, June 30, when Herring called authorities shortly after 8:45 p.m. and reported Javeayah missing. Investigators initially said the child was last seen around 8:15 p.m. near the home. Early descriptions said she was wearing Minnie Mouse pajamas, had pink beads in her braided hair and may have been wearing Crocs. Authorities described her as 3 feet, 6 inches tall and about 40 to 42 pounds. Sheriff’s officials said she was smart, talkative and friendly, and that she liked Minnie Mouse and chasing chickens. Herring told deputies the girl had been playing near a chicken coop before she disappeared.
The report brought a heavy response from local, state and federal agencies. Nearly 200 first responders and law enforcement officers joined the search, including the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the FBI, Aiken Department of Public Safety, North Augusta Department of Public Safety and nearby sheriff’s offices. Crews searched more than 3,000 acres using ground teams, helicopters, drones, dogs and neighborhood canvasses. Bethel Baptist Church served as a command post as officers checked yards, sheds, wooded areas and nearby properties. Roadblocks were also set up as investigators looked for witnesses and reviewed possible leads.
Before the arrests, officials had said the case remained a missing child investigation and that an Amber Alert had not been issued because the known facts did not meet the required criteria. Sawyer said Thursday that the FBI was helping with data analysis and had trained personnel on the ground who specialize in missing children cases. Authorities also corrected earlier public claims that Javeayah was nonverbal or autistic, saying those reports were not accurate. Her father told reporters before his arrest that Javeayah was friendly and not known to run away. “No, she does not run away,” Harris said. “But I will say that she is friendly.”
By Saturday, the sheriff said the evidence no longer supported the account that began the search. He said investigators had spoken with the child’s extended family and asked the public to give them privacy. Sawyer also thanked police, deputies, emergency managers, fire departments and federal agents who had assisted since Tuesday night. He said the search for Javeayah would not stop, even though the focus had changed. “We all hoped and prayed to find her alive, but it is still extremely important we bring her home,” Sawyer said. He said additional charges may be possible as investigators continue their work.
Authorities said both parents were booked into the Aiken County Detention Center. Officials had not released mugshots as of Saturday’s update. Investigators said they were searching an area of interest outside Aiken County, and SLED had deployed a helicopter to the Great Falls area in Union County. The sheriff’s office did not say what evidence led investigators there, and it had not released a cause or manner of death. It also had not said whether any other person was being investigated in connection with the case.
The search drew wide attention across Aiken, a city near the Georgia line and about 20 miles northeast of Augusta. Digital billboards carried Javeayah’s photo, and residents near the search area described officers checking sheds and backyards as the search expanded. Local businesses and neighbors said they had seen the family in the area before the child was reported missing. The sheriff’s office said Friday that the most visible search work would be reduced in the coming days, but officials said the investigation would continue until Javeayah was found.
The case stood Sunday as an active homicide investigation with Javeayah’s parents in custody and search teams still looking for her body. The next major update is expected from the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office as investigators process evidence and continue the search outside the county.
Author note: Last updated July 5, 2026.