‘You threw him out in the sewage’: 5-year-old boy allegedly murdered by foster mother

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO/Gray News) - The grandmother of a 5-year-old boy who was allegedly murdered by his foster mother says she feels the system failed her grandson.

Shanda McGee says she repeatedly told the caseworker for Franklin County Children’s Services about concerns that she had about Pammy Maye, 48, who along with her husband was the legal guardian of her grandson, Darnell Taylor.

On Friday, Darnell’s body was found in a storm drain just five miles from Maye’s home in Columbus, Ohio, where he lived.

Darnell’s disappearance was the focus of an Amber Alert early Wednesday morning. At the time, Maye’s husband had called the police and told them that his wife woke him up, said she had killed Darnell and then left in a gray Jeep.

WARNING: The video below contains the 911 audio from that triggered Wednesday’s AMBER Alert, which contains graphic details. Viewer discretion is advised.

Maye’s Jeep was spotted by police hours later at an apartment complex in Brooklyn, Ohio, but there was no sign of Maye or Darnell.

On Thursday, police responded to a report of a woman who appeared to be “suspicious.” The woman was identified as Maye, who at the time was wanted for kidnapping and endangering a child.

Authorities say Maye told them where they could find Darnell’s body.

“That really broke my heart because it’s like first of all why did you do that?” McGee said. “Then you threw him out in the sewage like he was a piece of trash.”

McGee says Darnell’s paternal grandparents were friends with Maye and thought she would be a good caregiver for the child.

She says it’s unimaginable that someone who was supposed to care about the child did the unthinkable.

“I feel like she feels ‘If I can’t have him, nobody can have him,’” McGee said.

Both Darnell’s maternal and paternal grandparents had gone to court to get visitation for their grandson, saying Maye had blocked their calls and they weren’t able to get ahold of the couple to have regular visitation. Another hearing on the matter was scheduled for March 11.

McGee says she feels like the caseworker should have done more to make sure the grandparents’ rights were being enforced.

“As a caseworker, you should have stepped up, even if you had to take law enforcement to the house, and say you guys are not abiding by the grandparents,” she said.

McGee says what hurts most is that Darnell will never get to grow up and enjoy a full life.

“Pammy, whatever the judge throws at her let him throw it at her. Right now I say, ‘God, it’s in your hands’ because I know God is going to do right and find justice for my grandson,” she said.

Copyright 2024 WOIO via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.