Missing Anderson County woman, man abandon children on Lake Hartwell island, deputies say
Authorities say a South Carolina mother who was reported missing was arrested for allegedly abandoning her 3 children during a camping trip on an island and fleeing with her boyfriend.
Courtney Taylor’s three children, ages 12, 13 and 15, were found marooned on Cemetery Island on Lake Hartwell in South Carolina late Monday afternoon by a passing fisherman, according to Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, according to local NBC affiliate WYFF4.
Deputies learned that the children had been camping with their mother and her boyfriend, Eric Elrod, since Sunday.
Taylor and Elrod went out to get water on Monday morning but never returned, according to the children.
According to cops, the car in which the family had traveled had vanished from its parking place on the island.
On Tuesday, the sheriff’s office initiated a search for the missing pair and discovered Taylor in Pickens County. She was arrested and charged with 3 counts of child neglect.
Taylor was released from the Anderson County jail on $15,000 bail on Wednesday. Elrod was still at large as of Thursday. He is wanted for distributing methamphetamine.
