COLUMBUS — A jury reached a verdict in the case of the woman accused of murdering 5-year-old Darnell Taylor in 2024.
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The Franklin County jury found Pammy Maye, 51, guilty on all counts, including aggravated murder, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse, our news partners at WBNS reported.
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Opening statements in Maye’s trial were on Monday, and closing arguments took place Tuesday morning.
During the trial, WBNS reported that jurors watched body camera video of Maye telling police she suffocated Taylor with a plastic trash bag and later left his body in a storm drain.
Prosecutors argued that she knew her actions were wrong.
Maye’s defense attorney argued that her severe mental illness prevented her from understanding what she did was wrong.
Maye was found competent to stand trial earlier this year after previously being deemed incompetent and receiving treatment to restore her competency.
As previously reported, police received a call from a man claiming his wife told him that “she had just killed our foster child” on February 14, 2024. Maye and the child left the home, prompting authorities to search for a Jeep Cherokee, which was later found in Brooklyn, Ohio.
Brooklyn Police detained Maye after receiving reports of her suspicious behavior near a business on Tiedeman Road.
Detectives learned from Maye that Taylor’s body was placed in a sewage drain in Franklin County, where it was later discovered.
The Franklin County Coroner’s Office reported that the boy died from asphyxia by smothering with cervical neck compression.
WBNS reported that Maye was granted temporary custody of Taylor in May 2023. His grandparents, who were close friends of Maye, had been taking care of him, but it became too much for them to handle.
We’re working to learn when Maye will be sentenced.
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