Grandmother of Murdered 5-Year-Old Boy Claims System Failed Him

The tragic case of 5-year-old Darnell Taylor, allegedly murdered by his foster mother, has left his grandmother, Shanda McGee, devastated. McGee has expressed her frustration, claiming that the system failed her grandson. Darnell’s body was discovered in a storm drain just five miles from the home of his foster mother, Pammy Maye, in Columbus, Ohio.

McGee had voiced her concerns about Maye to the caseworker at Franklin County Children’s Services multiple times. She alleges that her warnings went unheeded, leading to the heartbreaking outcome.

The events unfolded with an Amber Alert being issued for Darnell early Wednesday morning. Maye’s husband contacted the police, revealing that his wife had confessed to killing Darnell before fleeing in a grey Jeep.

Police later located Maye’s Jeep at an apartment complex in Brooklyn, Ohio, but both Maye and Darnell were missing. It wasn’t until Thursday that Maye was found and arrested on charges of kidnapping and endangering a child. She directed authorities to Darnell’s body, which was found in a sewage drain.

McGee expressed deep sorrow at the callous act, stating, “That really broke my heart because it’s like first of all why did you do that? Then you threw him out in the sewage like he was a piece of trash.”

The tragic incident has raised questions about the system’s handling of the case. Darnell’s grandparents had sought visitation rights, but their attempts were allegedly thwarted by Maye. A court hearing was scheduled to address the matter on March 11.

McGee believes that more should have been done to ensure the grandparents’ rights were upheld. She criticised the caseworker for not taking stronger action to enforce visitation rights.

Despite the pain and loss, McGee remains hopeful that justice will prevail. She said, “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.”