COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Franklin County Children’s Services has released more information on the case of 5-year-old Darnell Taylor, who was at the center of this week’s Amber Alert and has since been found dead.

Columbus police announced Friday morning that Taylor was found dead in a sewage drain along Marsdale Avenue in southwest Columbus. Columbus police first learned Taylor was missing early Wednesday morning, when 48-year-old Pammy Maye’s husband called 911 saying his wife killed the boy. The Mayes were Taylor’s legal custodians.

“Early this morning we recovered the body of who we believe to be Darnell Taylor,” Columbus police Chief Elaine Bryant said. “This is a tragic development, and we certainly hoped for a different outcome.” 

Maye was located by Brooklyn police near Cleveland Thursday night and she provided the location of Taylor’s body. Columbus police said Maye will be returned to Columbus soon and will face a murder charge.

NBC4 obtained additional details on Taylor’s case from Franklin County Children’s Services. Children’s services confirmed that the Mayes were the legal custodians of Taylor – not foster parents. 

The agency said Taylor first came to their attention in March 2022, when there was a physical abuse or neglect referral. It is unclear whose care Taylor was in at the time of this referral.  Taylor was referred to multiple service agencies, including behavioral health at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and case management, according to children’s services. 

It’s also shown that Taylor had been in kinship care, but there’s no word on who his caretakers were. NBC4 spoke with Franklin County foster care agency Caregivers Helper. They would not comment on this case, but discussed policies and processes.

“Now for kinship, they still have to undergo a home study and background checks just to make sure, but they won’t have to go through the whole process as someone wanting to foster will,” said Nicolette Juby, Foster Care Licensing and Training Specialist at Caregivers Helper.

The agency explained that there is a difference between fostering, being a legal custodian and being adoptive parents. Foster parents and legal custodians are required to go through background checks and a home study. The foster care agency said foster parents must go through training that legal custodians don’t. The agency also said more eyes are on foster parents with regular follow ups, and those follow ups are not usually required in legal custodian cases.

NBC4 reached out to Franklin County Children’s Services to ask about Maye’s relationship to Taylor and his biological parents, but they have not yet responded. The agency said more specific information on Taylor’s case is not being released at this time.

Cuyahoga County Jail confirmed Sunday Maye is being held in its facility on a fugitive charge. She is likely to face the murder charge when she is returned to Franklin County.