“A bleak update has been made public regarding the status of 4-year-old Javeayah Harris of Aiken, who was [**reported missing on June 30**](https://www.postandcourier.com/aikenstandard/aikenstandard/news/crime/search-for-missing-4-year-old-continues/article_b0db2949-880b-4b02-ac02-b6378e0d230d.html). 

The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office held a news conference on the morning of July 4 where they announced that evidence has led them to believe the girl had been deceased for at least a month at the time that her parents made the 911 call to report her missing.

“Sadly, the night of the 911 call on June 30, when that call was made, it was already too late to save Javeayah,” Aiken County Sheriff Marty Sawyer said.

Both of the girls’ parents, Johmarea Harris, 23, and Michilae Herring, 22, have been charged with homicide by child abuse and filing a false police report, the sheriff said.

Herring reportedly told officials that [**she had last seen Javeayah**](https://www.postandcourier.com/aikenstandard/news/crime/aiken-missing-child-police-javeayah-harris/article_3b7b3319-a24d-4f46-9fb5-8a4517091782.html) at their family home near Hillsboro Street and Ridgecrest Road in Aiken County in the chicken coop playing with chickens around 8 p.m. on June 30. 

Additional charges may be forthcoming, officials say. 

Sawyer stated during the July 4 conference that investigators are searching for her body in an undisclosed area of interest that is reportedly outside of Aiken County. 

“Our search for Javeayah drives on,” Sawyer said. “We are continuing to put massive law enforcement resources to work to recover Javeayah and bring her home. We all hoped and prayed to find her alive, but it’s extremely important to bring her home to her family, and it’s important to bring her home for us.” 

More than 5,000 acres have been searched, according to the sheriff's office. 

Sawyer called Saturday’s update “the hardest announcement that I’ve ever had to make in my 36-year career in law enforcement.”

“It’s the outcome that we all feared,” he said. “And sadly, it’s the outcome that we must face. We’ll have to face it together as a community.” ”

https://www.postandcourier.com/aikenstandard/news/crime/javeayah-harris-missing-child-update/article\_d8e1cf4b-b396-463d-ac1f-268a7d809223.html

Missing Aiken 4-year-old girl presumed dead, parents charged with homicide