A Franklin County jury has been seated for the trial of Pammy Maye, the Columbus foster mother accused of killing her 5-year-old foster son, Darnell Taylor. Fifteen jurors were chosen to hear the case, with three to be told later that they are alternates once deliberations begin. Opening statements are set for Monday, and the trial is expected to run through the middle of next week.
Maye is accused in the February 2024 strangulation death of Taylor, whose body was discovered in a storm sewer in southwest Columbus, according to WSYX. She is on trial for aggravated murder and other crimes, including abuse of a corpse, and has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Plea Deal Rejected Before Trial Date Was Set
Maye had been offered a chance to avoid trial but turned it down. The station's report notes she declined a prosecution offer that would have required her to plead guilty to aggravated murder and abuse of a corpse, opting instead to take her case before a jury. She was also charged with three counts of tampering with evidence, a detail confirmed in the same report.
The decision to go to trial came after a Friday morning hearing, as first reported by NBC4, which noted that a trial date was set for Nov. 9 once Maye made clear she wanted to proceed. That report indicated Maye declined the plea offer she received and wants to have a trial.
Competency Proceedings Delayed the Case
The case has moved slowly through the Franklin County court system in part because of competency concerns. Maye was found not competent to stand trial in 2025, before a judge deemed her competent in April 2026, according to the wosu.org account of the proceedings.
With the jury now seated, opening statements are scheduled for Monday, Nov. 9, and the trial is expected to last through the middle of next week. What testimony or evidence will be presented, and how the case will ultimately be resolved, remain unknown until proceedings get underway.
