Inset, left to right: Elijah D. Mayes and Grayson Walton (Central City Police Department). Background: The home in Cleaton, KY, where Grayson's body was found (WFIE).
A 19-year-old man in Kentucky is accused of killing the 11-month-old child he was supposed to be babysitting, allegedly lying to police about the infant's whereabouts before authorities found the child's body.
Elijah Drew Mayes was taken into custody and charged with murder, first-degree criminal abuse, tampering with physical evidence, and abuse of a corpse in connection with the slaying of Grayson Walton, authorities announced.
According to a press release from the Central City Police Department, officers responded around 5:10 p.m. Sept. 12 to a reported "disturbance" at a home in the 800 block of Harrison Avenue, which is about 185 miles west of Lexington, Kentucky.
Upon arriving, first responders spoke with the father of 11-month-old Grayson Walton, who told them that his son "was supposed to be in the care of Elijah Mayes while he was at work." Mayes initially claimed someone else had taken the boy, but that story soon fell apart, police said.
"During an interview at the scene, Mayes told officers that a family friend had picked up the child at approximately 10:00 p.m. on Friday, September 11," the release states. "Officers located and interviewed that individual, who stated that she had not picked up the child."
One of the victim's relatives then told investigators that the last time they had seen Grayson was when the child was with Mayes at about 10 p.m. at a residence in the 300 block of Hillview Street in Cleaton on Friday, Sept. 11.
Investigators conducted additional interviews before obtaining a search warrant for the home on Harrison Avenue as well as a vehicle at the location. During the search, officers said they found what they believed to be methamphetamine inside the home.
Police then obtained a second search warrant for a residence and vehicle in the 300 block of Hillview Street, about 4 miles southeast of the Harrison Avenue home. During that search, investigators found Grayson dead inside the home.
Authorities did not provide any details about Grayson's cause of death.
Mayes was subsequently arrested and transported to the Muhlenberg County Detention Center. In addition to those charges, he is facing one count of possession of a controlled substance.
It was not immediately clear when Mayes was scheduled to appear in court.
Police said numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies assisted in the investigation, which they said remains ongoing.
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