An 11-month-old boy reported missing in the small Kentucky community of Cleaton has been found dead, and a 19-year-old who had been caring for him is now behind bars. According to Central City police, Elijah Mayes was watching Grayson Walton while the baby’s father was at work. When investigators began asking where the child was, Mayes reportedly said a family friend had picked the baby up Friday night, but that person denied ever taking him.
The break in the case came from a relative who told police they had seen Grayson with Mayes at a house on Hillview Street. Detectives searched that home and a second location on Harrison Avenue, where they recovered suspected methamphetamine. Grayson’s body was found at the Hillview Street house. Mayes is charged with murder, criminal abuse, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, and drug possession, and is being held at the Muhlenberg County Detention Center.
For families here on the Suncoast, the distance between Kentucky and Florida doesn’t make this one sting any less. So many of us depend on friends, neighbors, or relatives to watch our kids while we work, especially during season. This case is a hard reminder to know exactly who is in the house with your child, and to speak up quickly if something feels wrong. What’s your rule for choosing who watches your kids? Tell us in the comments.
