A 19-year-old babysitter is facing a murder charge after police searching for an 11-month-old Kentucky boy discovered his bruised body concealed inside a couch.
Elijah Mayes had reportedly been looking after Grayson Walton while the infant’s father was at work when the child disappeared, according to investigators.
Police allege that Mayes later created a false explanation for Grayson’s whereabouts in an effort to mislead investigators.
According to the allegations, he set up a fake phone number and exchanged messages with himself while posing as a woman he claimed had come to collect the baby.
Authorities believe the fabricated messages were intended to support a false alibi and make it appear that someone else had taken Grayson.
The search came to a tragic end when officers found Grayson’s body hidden inside a couch at a residence in Cleaton, Kentucky, court records obtained by local media reportedly show.
Police said the infant had extensive bruising and what appeared to be bite marks on his stomach.
Grayson died only two weeks before his first birthday.
Elijah Mayes, 19, had been entrusted with caring for Grayson Walton while the baby’s father was at work
Officers found 11-month-old Grayson dead and concealed 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 responded to a residence.
Grayson’s father told police that he was trying to locate his son and explained that Mayes had been caring for the child while he was at work.
Investigators then questioned Mayes about when and where he had last seen the infant.
Mayes allegedly claimed that a “family friend” had picked Grayson up at about 10 p.m. on September 11.
Police located the woman and interviewed her, but her account reportedly contradicted Mayes’s version of events.
Central City police said officers “located and interviewed that individual, who stated that she had not picked up the child.”
A relative also spoke with investigators and said Grayson 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, officers allegedly found a substance they believed to be methamphetamine.
Investigators said bruises covered the infant’s body and that apparent bite marks were visible on his stomach
Grayson was two weeks shy of his first birthday when he died
ALSO READ: Grand Designs: Why Gen Z Wants a “Grandma’s House” Home
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.