Missing Ohio 5-year-old found dead, foster mother arrested

(NEW YORK) — Police believe they have recovered the body of 5-year-old Darnell Taylor, whose disappearance had prompted a statewide Amber Alert in Ohio earlier this week.

The body was recovered in a sewage drain in Franklin County, near his hometown of Columbus.

The alert was issued Wednesday after his foster mother, Pammy Maye, made concerning statements to her husband that made him believe Taylor had been hurt or was in danger before disappearing.

Police had been searching for Maye — identifying her as a suspect — and asked the public to report any information on her whereabouts.

On Thursday night, police received a 911 call about a suspicious woman walking around a commercial building. Brooklyn, Ohio, police responded to the scene, identified the woman as Maye and took her into custody, according to Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant.

Maye was then transferred to a Cleveland hospital for medical treatment, where Maye told officers the location of Taylor’s body, according to Bryant.

She has now been charged with kidnapping and endangerment, and police are working to add murder charges, police said. She will be transferred back to Franklin County, according to Bryant.

The biological family has been made aware that the boy has been found dead. The parents are believed to have been fostering the child since May 2023, according to police.

“This is not the outcome that we wanted, but we’re going to make sure that we do everything that we can to bring justice for Darnell,” Bryant said.

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