Authorities believe Javeayah Harris has been dead for at least one month, though she was initially thought to have disappeared on June 30

NEED TO KNOW

• A South Carolina sheriff’s office announced on Saturday, July 4, that a 4-year-old girl who went missing from her family’s home is presumed dead

• Authorities believe 4-year-old Javeayah Harris has been dead for at least one month, though she was initially thought to have disappeared on June 30
• Her parents, 23-year-old Johmarea Harris and 22-year-old Michilae Herring, were both arrested and charged with homicide by child abuse

Authorities in South Carolina have announced that a 4-year-old girl who went missing from her family's home is presumed dead.

On Saturday, July 4, the Aiken County Sheriff's Office announced that investigators believe Javeayah Harris, who was previously said to have been last seen on June 30, is dead.

Authorities said their evidence now suggests that Javeayah has been dead for at least one month.

The girl's father, 23-year-old Johmarea Harris, was arrested and charged with homicide by child abuse, and her mother, 22-year-old Michilae Herring, was arrested and charged with homicide by child abuse and filing a false police report.

"Sadly, it was already too late to save her the moment the 911 call came in on June 30," Aiken County Sheriff Marty Sawyer Jr. said in a statement shared on Facebook.

Authorities initially said that Javeayah had disappeared from her home near Hillsboro Street and Ridgecrest Road in the city of Aiken at around 8:15 p.m. local time on June 30.

Sawyer previously said that law enforcement conducted a grid search of more than 3,000 acres on foot, supported by helicopters, drones and dogs. Officers were also interviewing neighbors and any potential witnesses who may have seen Javeayah.

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On Saturday, the sheriff said authorities have spoken with the child’s extended family, who asked for privacy as they cope with the 4-year-old's death.

In his statement, Sawyer also thanked federal and state law enforcement agencies, search and fire teams for their assistance in the investigation, as well as local community members who volunteered to help look for Javeayah before sharing that authorities would continue to search for the missing girl.

"Our search for Javeayah drives on," he said. "We are continuing to put massive law enforcement resources to work. We all hoped and prayed to find her alive, but it is still extremely important that we bring her home. We are searching an area of interest not in Aiken County."

The sheriff's office added that the girl's parents could face additional charges in the case.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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