Pammy Maye: ‘Sociopath’ mom confesses to killing 5-year-old son for sneaking snacks into bed
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
COLUMBUS, OHIO: Police released body camera footage this week revealing Pammy Maye's confession to detectives about killing her son, 5-year-old Darnell Taylor.
In the video, Maye admitted to smothering Darnell in February, and disposing of his body in a sewage drain. She killed him after discovering him sneaking snacks into bed.
Pammy Maye, aged 48, characterized herself as the stricter parent in comparison to her husband, who shared legal guardianship of the young boy, Darnell Taylor.
These statements were made by Maye and are documented in body camera footage dated February 16, 2024.
Maye has been charged with aggravated murder and abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence in Darnell’s death.
Pammy Maye details sequence of killing Darnell Taylor and concealing his body
The young boy triggered a statewide AMBER Alert issued on February 14 until authorities discovered his body two days later inside a sewage drain on Marsdale Avenue in Franklin County.
On February 15, police located Maye in the Cleveland suburb of Brooklyn, where her abandoned car had been previously found.
She was transported to a nearby hospital for assessment. While hospitalized, detectives questioned her about the possibility of Darnell still being alive.
Maye admitted from her hospital bed, "No, there isn’t. And I did it," as 10 WBNS, reported.
In body camera footage released by the Brooklyn Police Department, Maye confessed to killing Darnell in his room and concealing his body in a closet elsewhere in the house for several hours.
Maye expressed frustration in the video over Darnell eating snacks in bed. She added that he had been disciplined earlier for using profanity.
She provided detectives with a detailed description of how she suffocated Darnell.
When her husband returned home from work, Maye claimed he went to bed assuming Darnell was asleep. Two hours later, she recounted placing Darnell's body into her Jeep and driving to find a suitable location to dispose of it.
Maye admitted to covering her vehicle's vanity plate with an old license plate to avoid detection before driving near her parents' residence.
Finding a sewage drain on Marsdale Avenue, she pushed Darnell's body into it. Upon returning home, Maye climbed into bed with her husband and disclosed that she had something serious to confess.
Pammy Maye's husband calls 911 after she discloses Darnell Taylor's death
Maye's husband dialed 911, around 3 am, informing them that his wife had disclosed about Darnell's death.
He stated he had searched the residence before contacting authorities but found no trace of the boy.
Maye recounted to detectives that she had urged her husband not to call, as she wished to explain the situation to him first.
Court documents reveal that Maye covered her husband's mouth when he attempted to make the emergency call, indicating she "had a plan".
Maye informed investigators that she drove towards Cleveland on Interstate 71 North, a familiar route.
She explained, "The only reason I fled in the nightgown was because I didn't want the police to come and interrogate me and I wanted to tell my husband and he wasn't listening."
Maye has entered a plea of not guilty, with her attorney, Sam Shamansky asserting her competence to stand trial.
However, Shamansky suggested that Maye may eventually change her plea to not guilty by reason of insanity.
While he hasn't viewed the police body-camera footage, Shamansky emphasized, "We don’t consider her post-arrest comments as dispositive of her mental state at the time of the commission of the offense."
Maye is set to appear in court again on April 25.
Internet stunned over Pammy Maye's chilling confession
After viewing the body cam footage of Pammy Maye confessing to killing her son, many people rushed to comment on the heinous crime.
One use claimed, “Rest in Peace Darnell Taylor Heaven has gained another Angel.”
Another wrote, “Showing this is sick. Shame on you.”
The third claimed, “She did show emotion-she laughed and smiled and is a sociopath-she is not crazy."
The last added, “They are being the evil ones.”
This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online