AIKEN COUNTY, S.C. — Recent 911 call recordings and arrest warrants have shed fresh light on the ongoing investigation into the tragic case of 4-year-old Javeayah Harris. Authorities are actively seeking her remains while gathering evidence against her parents.
The recorded 911 calls reveal the distressing moments when Javeayah’s mother contacted emergency services on the night of June 30, reporting her daughter as missing.
911 Operator: “Aiken County 911, where is your emergency?”
Caller: “I’m at 39 Hillsboro Street. I can’t find my baby.”
Further into the conversation, the dispatcher requested a description of the missing child.
Dispatcher: “How old is this baby?”
Caller: “She’s four.”
Dispatcher: “What was she wearing?”
Caller: “She had on pink Minnie Mouse pajamas… she has pink beads, she has braids.”
But during a news conference Saturday, Aiken County Sheriff Marty Sawyer said investigators now believe Javeayah had already died before that 911 call was ever made.
“Sadly, the night of the 911 call on June 30th, when that call was made, it was already too late to save Javeayah,” Sawyer said.
According to newly released arrest warrants, investigators allege Javeayah suffered repeated blunt force trauma and that her parents failed to seek medical treatment for her injuries.
The warrants further allege the child’s death was concealed before her body was moved and disposed of.
Sawyer described announcing Javeayah’s death as the most difficult moment of his 36-year law enforcement career.
“I’m gathered here with all these law enforcement partners to make the hardest announcement that I’ve ever had to make in my 36-year career in law enforcement,” Sawyer said.
He said investigators believe Javeayah is deceased, calling it “the outcome that we all feared.”
Although arrests have been made, Sawyer said the investigation is far from over.
“Our search for Javeayah drives on. We are continuing to put massive law enforcement resources to work to recover Javeayah and bring her home,” he said.
Investigators have charged Johmeara Harris and Michilae Herring with homicide by child abuse. Herring also faces an additional charge of filing a false police report.
The case continues to leave many parents in the community heartbroken.
“I’m a mother of seven,” said Aiken County resident Kailla Boston. “I have a four-year-old and a two-year-old. That’s a baby. How can you do that? That’s just outrageous.”
Another local mother, who identified herself as Tavy, said hearing the details of the investigation has been difficult to process.
“It’s very emotional. I’m a parent of five, and I just couldn’t fathom me losing a child… and for them to know and keep going on with the charade is just above me,” she said.
She also shared a message for Javeayah’s loved ones.
“I just send my prayers out to the rest of her family members. Keep her in prayer… she’s here in spirit.”
NewsChannel 6 also visited the convenience store where investigators say Javeayah was last seen. Employees declined to speak on camera but told NewsChannel 6 off camera that Javeayah’s father was a regular customer and never appeared to them to be someone who would be involved in a case like this.
The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office says investigators remain committed to recovering Javeayah’s remains and are continuing to follow leads as the homicide investigation moves forward.
Both of Javeayah’s parents remain in the Aiken County Detention Center. They are expected to return to court in September.
The investigation remains active. Anyone with information that could assist investigators is encouraged to contact the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office.