S.C. parents, son convicted of killing daughter who 'showed extreme signs of disintegration'

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (TCN) -- A jury found a married couple and their 21-year-old son guilty of multiple charges related to the death of a 14-year-old girl with special needs who was "left to rot to death" in a dirty home filled with trash and insects.

The 7th Circuit Solicitor's Office announced in a statement that David Baynard, 55, Bobbie Jo Baynard, 45, and Edward Baynard, 21, were all convicted of murder, felony child abuse, and unlawful neglect of a child in connection with Heather Baynard's death. As a result of the convictions, a judge sentenced Bobbie Jo Baynard and David Baynard to life in prison for murder, 20 years for child abuse, and 10 for child neglect. The terms will run consecutively. Edward Baynard received 30 years for murder, 20 for child abuse, and 10 for child neglect, which he will serve concurrently.

According to the solicitor's office, on April 11, 2022, David Baynard took his daughter to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and carried her in "like a sack of potatoes." The 14-year-old was reportedly "listless and unresponsive" with gray, cold skin that "showed extreme signs of disintegration." Neither David Baynard nor Bobbie Jo Baynard "showed any emotion or urgency when bringing their child to the hospital that night." David Baynard reportedly sat on his phone in the waiting room while his daughter was with the doctor. Heather Baynard died that night.

Edward Baynard reportedly worked as his sister's home health aide and even got over $25,000 for that job.

Investigators went to the Baynard residence on April 12, 2022, and reportedly "found junk piled multiple feet high in the home." The floors were covered in animal feces and insects lived in the trash that had been strewn around the home. Police officers needed to wear respirators and safety suits when they went inside.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said Officials also found multiple animals suffering from extreme neglect.

According to the warrants, Heather Baynard's parents continuously canceled or rescheduled her doctors' appointments "despite the protests of physicians." She had not seen a doctor since fall 2021. The warrant described the home as being in "deplorable condition." Heather Baynard reportedly slept in a crib.

At their trial, Heather Baynard's doctor and the local coroner testified that they "had never seen anything like Heather's horrible condition during the entirety of their careers." They said Heather Baynard's skin "broke down" because she was left in feces and urine. One person said Heather Baynard's legs "looked like raw meat."

The statement said another person testified at the trial that Heather Baynard "would have been better off if she had been killed swiftly instead of suffering through the abuse she was forced to live with every day."

Solicitor Barry Barnette said after the trial, "Nobody in the world — especially a child with special needs — should have to go through anything like this. It was horrible. Heather was left to rot to death."

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