The parents of 4-year-old Javeayah Harris — Johmarea Harris, 23, and Michilae Herring, 22 — remain jailed and were removed from the initial Sept. 18 docket because they are in custody. A first-appearance affidavit obtained by the Aiken Standard shows a follow-up hearing is scheduled for Nov. 20. Both were denied bond on July 5 and are charged with homicide by child abuse; Herring also faces a false-report charge. Warrants allege neglect, use of corrosive chemicals on the child’s body and disposal of remains in Cedar Creek Reservoir; the homicide charge carries a potential sentence of 20 years to life.
Court Dates Delayed For Parents Accused In Death Of 4-Year-Old Javeayah Harris; Follow-Up Hearing Set For Nov. 20
Johmarea Harris, 23, left, and Michilae Herring, 22, the parents of 4-year-old murder victim Javeayah Harris. Courtesy of the Aiken County detention center
AIKEN — More than two months after their arrests, Johmarea Harris, 23, and Michilae Herring, 22, remain in custody as court proceedings in the death of their 4-year-old daughter, Javeayah Harris, move forward.
Key Court Scheduling
Both defendants had initial hearings listed for Sept. 18 at the Aiken County Courthouse but were removed from the docket because they remain incarcerated, Clerk of Court Rob Harte said. Reporters from the Aiken Standard obtained a first-appearance affidavit that notes a subsequent hearing is scheduled for Nov. 20 at the same courthouse.
Legal Status And Charges
Herring and Harris were arrested and booked into the Aiken County detention center on July 4 and have been held since. Bond hearings on July 5 resulted in bond being denied for both. Each is charged with homicide by child abuse; in addition, Herring faces a separate count of filing a false police report.
Preliminary Hearing Demand And Timeline
Court records show Herring demanded a preliminary hearing on July 22. Officials have not yet announced a date for any preliminary hearing that may follow that demand.
Allegations And Investigation Details
Warrants allege the parents neglected to seek medical care after Javeayah suffered injuries consistent with physical abuse. Investigators later determined the child’s body had been subjected to corrosive chemicals and that remains were disposed of in Cedar Creek Reservoir (locally known as Stumpy Pond) in neighboring Fairfield County. Authorities say Michilae Herring falsely reported Javeayah missing on the night of June 30.
Potential Penalties
Detention center records indicate a conviction on the homicide-by-child-abuse charge carries a penalty range of 20 years to life in prison.
Note: This report summarizes information from court records, warrants and statements provided by the Aiken County Clerk of Court and the Aiken Standard.
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