Two men are now charged in connection with the death of 11-month-old Grayson Walton in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. Jeff Barnett, the child’s step-grandfather, was arrested at a gas station in Graham on an outstanding warrant and charged with tampering with physical evidence. His address matches the Hillview Street home in Cleaton where the boy’s body was discovered. Elijah Mayes, who was supposed to be caring for Grayson while the boy’s father worked, faces a much longer list of charges: murder, first-degree criminal abuse, tampering with physical evidence, abuse of a corpse and first-degree meth possession. He appeared in court Thursday morning.
The investigation started with a call to a Harrison Avenue home for a disturbance on Saturday, Sept. 12. From there, investigators say the stories didn’t line up. Mayes told police a friend came and picked Grayson up on Sept. 11. That friend denied it, according to investigators. Police also say they found suspected methamphetamine in a home and a car during their searches, which adds another layer to an already complicated case.
For families across the Suncoast, the details here raise a familiar worry. Plenty of parents rely on relatives and trusted friends for childcare while they work, and most of those arrangements are loving and safe. Cases like this one are the exception, but they serve as a hard reminder to ask questions, check in often, and know exactly who is around your kids. As this case moves through the courts, we’ll keep following the developments. What questions would you want answered if you were in this family’s position?
