CLEVELAND — The Columbus Police Department said it has located a body the family confirmed is missing 5-year-old Darnell Taylor.
The woman suspected of abducting him and triggering an Amber Alert, Pammy Maye, was taken into custody in the 4000 block of Tiedeman Road in Brooklyn around 9 p.m. on Thursday after she walked into envelope manufacturer Cenveo distraught and with no shoes on.
Police said Maye asked employees to call her husband, who they were unable to get in contact with.
Maye refused to give her name to the employee or dispatcher, according to police. Patrol officers responded to Cenveo and immediately identified her as Maye, the subject of the Amber Alert.
She was transported to a local hospital, where she gave information to police about what happened to Darnell.
Lynda Santa lives right next door to the business on Tiedeman Road.
"It's really kind of terrifying, that would be so crazy thinking that she could have been that close," said Santa.
Cenveo and Santa's house is about a 3-minute drive, or 13-minute walk from the apartment complex where the car Maye was allegedly driving was found at Parkview Estates apartments in Brooklyn.
"Maybe it's time to invest in a Ring camera just to make sure I know what's going in my yard all the time. It never occurred to me," said Santa.
According to police, Darnell's body was found in a sewage drain in Columbus around 1 a.m. on Friday. At about 1:30 p.m. Friday, Darnell's biological family positively identified the body to the Franklin County Coroner's Office.
Police are now investigating this case as a homicide, and the Amber Alert was canceled.
"It's really horrible to hear about the child. He was so adorable," said Santa.
What happened
According to court documents, Maye's husband told authorities that he made a 911 call after she allegedly harmed Darnell and that she put her hand over his mouth to try to stop him from telling police what was going on.
In audio obtained by News 5, a dispatcher relays what Maye's husband said when he called 911.
"We had a guy call in, said that his wife just killed her foster child. Darnell Taylor, 5-year-old," the dispatcher said.
Police did not know whether or not Darnell was dead, and when the Amber Alert was issued, they said that they believed he is "in danger."
The vehicle police were searching for was found unoccupied in Brooklyn hours after the Amber Alert went out.
Police searched the area, but it was a tip from a citizen that led to Maye's apprehension.
Brooklyn Police released the following statement on the investigation:
"Brooklyn Police Department would like to take this opportunity to thank the municipal, state, and federal law enforcement agencies who provide support via resources and personnel. We also would like to extend our appreciation to the private citizens and other private entities for their contributions to this investigation. It is not the resolution we had hoped for and we extend our condolences to the family of Darnell Taylor. The Brooklyn Police Department will continue to work in cooperation with members of the Columbus Police Department with this investigation."
