In a town of fewer than two hundred people in western Kentucky, a search for an eleven-month-old boy ended in a home where he was found dead, and the trust that a father places in a babysitter for the hours he must work was broken in the most final way. The case now moves through the slow machinery of the courts, where a young man faces the charge of murder and another relative faces a charge of tampering with evidence, while the questions of what happened and why remain for the record to answer. Behind the legal particulars stands a family grieving a child remembered for his love of water and
Second arrest in death of 11-month-old Grayson Walton as Kentucky babysitter faces murder charge
An 11-month-old boy, Grayson Walton, was killed; family and community are mourning him after funeral services held September 18.
He never met a stranger.
Mark
Why does the babysitter's story matter so much to the case?
Mimi
Because it's the thread police pulled. He said a family friend picked Grayson up around 10pm on September 11, and she told officers she never did.
Mark
And then the fake phone number?
Mimi
Investigators say he made one and texted himself as that person. That's an allegation reported through WDKY-TV, and it's meant to show he built the story.
Luke
Worth stressing that these are accusations. Mayes has been charged, not convicted, and I haven't seen a plea or a defense account in this reporting.
Mark
What about the couch at the step-grandfather's house?
Mimi
Court documents, via WFIE, say Grayson was found dead inside a couch, with bruises and teeth marks on his stomach.
Luke
Those are descriptions from documents. We don't have a cause of death or an autopsy result here, and nothing says who made the marks.
Mark
Where does Jeff Barnett fit in?
Mimi
He's charged with tampering with physical evidence and was arrested at a gas station in Graham, 14 miles away.
Luke
But what he allegedly tampered with isn't stated. And it's unclear whether the step-grandfather whose home it was is Barnett or someone else.
Mark
And what's hidden for now?
Mimi
The search warrant documents are sealed until March 17, 2027, so the full basis for the searches stays private.
Il Polso
- A father left his infant with a babysitter for work, and the hours that followed turned into a missing-child search in a town of fewer than 200 people.
- The babysitter's account of a family friend picking up the baby collapsed when the named woman said she never took the child.
- Officers found the boy dead inside a couch at a relative's home, with court documents describing teeth marks and bruising.
- A fake phone number and a text sent to himself exposed an attempt to build a cover story, and a second relative was arrested at a Graham gas station.
- Murder charges stand against the 19-year-old under a $1 million cash-only bond, while sealed search warrant papers hold the details until March 2027.
In a town of fewer than two hundred people in western Kentucky, a search for an eleven-month-old boy ended in a home where he was found dead, and the trust that a father places in a babysitter for the hours he must work was broken in the most final way. The case now moves through the slow machinery of the courts, where a young man faces the charge of murder and another relative faces a charge of tampering with evidence, while the questions of what happened and why remain for the record to answer. Behind the legal particulars stands a family grieving a child remembered for his love of water and for never meeting a stranger, and a community that gathered around them in the search and at the funeral.
Police in Central City, Kentucky, say the search for eleven-month-old Grayson Walton ended inside a home in Cleaton, a town of fewer than 200 people, where officers found the boy dead. The announcement came on Monday, and a second arrest has since followed.
The trail began with Grayson's father, who left his son with a babysitter, 19-year-old Elijah Mayes, while he went to work. Mayes told investigators that a family friend had collected the baby around 10pm on September 11. When officers found and interviewed the woman he named, she said she had never picked the child up.
Investigators searched Mayes' home and allegedly found methamphetamine, then searched a second residence belonging to his step-grandfather. There, according to court documents, they found Grayson dead inside a couch, with teeth marks on his stomach and bruising across his body. Police also say Mayes tried to hide the truth, allegedly creating a fake phone number and texting himself while posing as the person who had supposedly taken the baby.
Mayes is charged with murder, criminal abuse, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, and possession of methamphetamine. He was arraigned Thursday and is held on a $1 million cash-only bond. Jeff Barnett, a relative, was arrested at a gas station in Graham and charged with tampering with physical evidence; the records do not say what he is alleged to have done.
Funeral services were held Thursday. The family's GoFundMe thanks first responders and everyone who shared posts and offered help, saying the community showed up for him. His obituary remembered a boy who loved the water and loved Mrs. Rachel, who was always happy and never met a stranger.
With the search warrant papers sealed until March 2027, much of what led police to the couch will stay out of view for now. What remains to watch is how the charges take shape, what role Barnett played, and whether anyone else is arrested.
Police in Central City, Kentucky, say the search for 11-month-old Grayson Walton ended inside a home in Cleaton, a town of fewer than 200 people, where officers found the boy dead. The department announced the case on Monday, and a second arrest has since followed.
The account begins with Grayson's father, who told police he left his son with a babysitter, 19-year-old Elijah Mayes, while he went to work. Mayes later told investigators that a family friend had collected the baby around 10pm on September 11. When officers located and interviewed the woman he named, she said she had not picked the child up, according to the department.
Investigators searched Mayes' home and allegedly found methamphetamine. They then searched a second residence, which belongs to Mayes' step-grandfather. Court documents obtained by the local outlet WFIE say officers discovered Grayson dead inside a couch. The documents describe teeth marks on the boy's stomach and bruising across his body.
Police also say Mayes tried to build a cover story. According to Fox affiliate WDKY-TV, investigators accuse him of creating a fake phone number and texting himself while pretending to be the person he claimed had taken the baby.
Mayes is charged with murder, criminal abuse, tampering with physical evidence, abuse of a corpse and possession of methamphetamine. He was arraigned on Thursday. WBKO reported that he is held at the Muhlenberg County Detention Center on a $1 million cash-only bond. After the hearing, the court clerk ordered the search warrant documents sealed until March 17, 2027.
The second arrest is Jeff Barnett, a relative of Mayes, who is charged with tampering with physical evidence, according to inmate records. WFIE reported he was taken into custody at a gas station in Graham, about 14 miles from Cleaton, and that a warrant had been issued for his arrest. The source material does not say what Barnett is alleged to have done.
Funeral services for Grayson were held Thursday afternoon. His family has set up a GoFundMe to cover expenses, and the fundraiser thanks first responders and everyone who shared posts and offered help during the search, saying the community showed up for him. His obituary remembered a child who loved the water and loved Mrs. Rachel, who was always happy and loved playing with other kids, and who never met a stranger.
With the warrant documents sealed for months, much of what led police to the couch will stay out of public view. What to watch is how the charges are detailed as the case moves forward, what Barnett's role proves to be, and whether anyone else is arrested.
Citazioni salienti
Officers located and interviewed that individual, who stated that she had not picked up the child.— Central City Police Department
He loved the water. He loved Mrs. Rachel. He was always happy.— Grayson Walton's obituary
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Crime & Justice