An Ohio woman who allegedly killed a 5-year-old boy in her care last week had her first court appearance on Thursday.
Pammy Maye, 48, allegedly suffocated Darnell Taylor six hours before an AMBER Alert was issued on February 14. Maye, who was apprehended in Brooklyn, Ohio, on February 15, admitted to killing Taylor and leaving his body in a sewage drain in Columbus — where it was found on February 16, according to WBNS.
READ: Amber Alert Boy Found Dead in Sewer Drain; Foster Mom Charged With Murder
Maye and her husband had been Taylor’s foster parents since May 2023. Prosecutor Tyler McCoy said on Thursday that Maye was previously diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and she showed signs of possessive and controlling behavior, the Columbus Dispatch reported.
According to the news outlet, Maye’s husband called 911 on February 14 after Maye told him Taylor was no longer with him. The husband was on the phone with a dispatcher when Maye allegedly tried to cover his mouth and told him she “had a plan.” Police arrived five minutes after the call, but Maye was already gone.
When police located Maye on February 15, she was reportedly walking around in a nightgown near a highway overpass. She allegedly told investigators where Taylor’s body was.
Jailed on a $4 million bond, Maye is charged with murder, kidnapping, and endangering children. She is due back in court on March 1.
