In a small Kentucky town where fewer than two hundred people live, a search that drew neighbors together ended in grief when an eleven-month-old boy was found dead, hidden inside a couch. He had been left in the care of a teenage babysitter while his father worked, and the account offered to police by that young man unraveled under questioning, leaving a painful gap between a trusted hand and a child who never came home. The law now moves slowly and deliberately, with key records sealed for months, while a family buries a child whose short life was remembered for its joy in the water and its e
Second Arrest in Kentucky Death of 11-Month-Old Grayson Walton, Found Hidden in Couch
An 11-month-old infant, Grayson Walton, was killed and found with bruises and apparent teeth marks; funeral services were held Thursday.
Found dead inside a couch in his step-grandfather's home
Mark
Start with the basics. How did police end up at that second house?
Mimi
Mayes, the 19-year-old babysitter, said a family friend picked Grayson up around 10pm on September 11. Then he said he'd given the baby to a relative, and she told officers she never took him. His story fell apart, and they searched his home and then his step-grandfather's.
Luke
Worth noting, "he said he gave the baby to a relative" and "a family friend" come from the same report, and the sequence of what he told police isn't fully clear.
Mark
And the fake phone number?
Mimi
Investigators accuse him of making a fake number and texting himself, posing as the person he claimed took the baby. It's an allegation, relayed through WDKY-TV.
Luke
Right. Accused, not proven. The same goes for the injuries: the bruises and apparent teeth marks come from court documents obtained by WFIE, not from an autopsy we've seen.
Mark
What about Jeff Barnett?
Mimi
He's a relative of Mayes, charged with tampering with physical evidence, and arrested at a gas station in Graham with a warrant.
Luke
We don't know what the tampering allegation is, or what the warrant was for. Also, the couch was in the step-grandfather's home, and the reporting doesn't say whether Barnett is that person.
Mark
Will we learn more soon?
Mimi
Not from the warrant. It's sealed until March 17, 2027.
Luke
Which means the public record on why police searched where they did is thin for now.
Il Polso
- A search through a tight-knit Cleaton community ended in the discovery of an eleven-month-old boy hidden inside a couch.
- The babysitter's story that a family friend had collected the child collapsed when a relative said she never picked him up.
- Investigators allege the sitter invented a phone number and texted himself to build a false trail.
- A second relative was arrested in Graham, and the sealed warrant documents keep much of the evidence out of public view until March 2027.
- Funeral services have been held, and the case now proceeds through court while the town absorbs its loss.
In a small Kentucky town where fewer than two hundred people live, a search that drew neighbors together ended in grief when an eleven-month-old boy was found dead, hidden inside a couch. He had been left in the care of a teenage babysitter while his father worked, and the account offered to police by that young man unraveled under questioning, leaving a painful gap between a trusted hand and a child who never came home. The law now moves slowly and deliberately, with key records sealed for months, while a family buries a child whose short life was remembered for its joy in the water and its easy affection for everyone he met.
Police in Central City, Kentucky, searched a home owned by the step-grandfather of a 19-year-old and found eleven-month-old Grayson Walton dead inside a couch. The discovery ended a search that had drawn volunteers from Cleaton, a town of fewer than 200 people, and it was announced by the Central City Police Department on Monday.
Grayson's father had left him with a babysitter, Elijah Mayes, while he went to work. Mayes first told investigators that a family friend had collected the baby around 10pm on September 11. That story fell apart when a relative said she had never picked the child up, and investigators now allege Mayes created a fake phone number and texted himself to pose as that friend.
Officers searched Mayes' home, where they allegedly found methamphetamine, and then searched the second residence, where they found Grayson. Court documents describe apparent teeth marks on his stomach and bruises across his body. Mayes faces murder, criminal abuse, evidence tampering, abuse of a corpse and drug charges, and he is held on a $1 million cash-only bond.
A relative, Jeff Barnett, was arrested at a Graham gas station on a tampering charge and an outstanding warrant. The reporting does not yet say what he is alleged to have done.
Grayson's funeral was held Thursday. His family's fundraiser thanked the community that searched for him, and his obituary remembered a baby who loved the water, adored Mrs. Rachel, and never met a stranger. The warrant records stay sealed until March 2027, so the path to the couch will remain hidden for now, while the courts take up both cases.
Police in Central City, Kentucky, searched a home belonging to a 19-year-old's step-grandfather and found 11-month-old Grayson Walton dead inside a couch. The discovery, announced by the Central City Police Department on Monday, ended a search that had drawn volunteers from the small community of Cleaton, a town of fewer than 200 people.
Grayson had gone missing after his father left him with a babysitter while he went to work. The babysitter was Elijah Mayes, 19. According to the police account, Mayes told investigators that a family friend had collected the baby around 10pm on September 11.
That account did not hold. Mayes had first told police he gave the child to a relative. Officers located and interviewed her, and she said she had not picked Grayson up. Investigators now accuse Mayes of creating a fake phone number and texting himself, pretending to be the person he said he had handed the baby to, according to Fox affiliate WDKY-TV.
Officers searched Mayes' home and allegedly found methamphetamine. They then searched a second residence, owned by Mayes' step-grandfather, where Grayson was found. Court documents obtained by local outlet WFIE say the child was inside a couch, with apparent teeth marks on his stomach and bruises covering his body.
Mayes is charged with murder, criminal abuse, tampering with physical evidence, abuse of a corpse and possession of methamphetamine. He was arraigned Thursday, and after the hearing the court clerk ordered the search warrant documents sealed until March 17, 2027. WBKO reported that he is held at the Muhlenberg County Detention Center on a $1 million cash-only bond.
The second arrest is of 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 he had an outstanding warrant. The reporting does not say what Barnett is alleged to have done.
Funeral services for Grayson were held Thursday afternoon. His family set up a GoFundMe to cover expenses, and the fundraiser thanked first responders and everyone who shared posts and offered help in the search, saying the community "really showed up" for him. His obituary describes a baby who loved the water and loved Mrs. Rachel, who was always happy, enjoyed playing with other kids, and 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 for now. Watch for further proceedings in Mayes' case and for how Barnett's charge develops.
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 never met a stranger.— Grayson Walton's obituary
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Crime & Justice