A young mom has been found dead in Tennessee, six days after she was arrested for repeatedly calling 911 pleading for help.
The body of Hailey Silas was discovered around 7AM on October 21 when a barge crew was performing a routine inspection while traveling the Mississippi River near Shelby Forest in Tennessee, as reported by WREG.
Silas' identity was then confirmed by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, with Chief Anthony Buckner calling the investigation "extremely unusual," per The Oklahoman.
It was also noted that the Luther, Oklahoma resident was found on the vessel at the border of Arkansas and Tennessee, more than 400 miles from where she made the 911 calls.
Less than a week earlier, the 22-year-old mom was apprehended by police for calling 911 several times from a gas station across from Southland Casino.
According to the publication, Silas asked authorities to give her a ride out of West Memphis, Arkansas because she was terrified of something. When the police responded to her calls and arrived on the scene, she told them she was having a panic attack and was eventually handcuffed.
After she was driven to a police station, the woman asked to talk to her parents and once again reiterated that she felt scared and confused. It was not immediately clear what she was fearful of, but Silas also requested to be taken to a "psych ward," the report said.
On Wednesday (October 18), she pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor of communicating a false alarm and was given a suspended sentence of time served, per records cited by the outlet.
A psychological evaluation report has also been filed but its contents were not disclosed, as stated by The New York Post.
Three days after appearing in court for her guilty plea, Silas was discovered dead.
"I was kind of stunned, I guess. I just didn’t necessarily want to believe it," her friend Sidney Hernandez told KOCO. "She was 22 years old. She was just starting life, and it just kind of flipped so quickly, I had to take a moment to take it all in."
According to officials, Silas was not found with any identification and sadly leaves behind a four-year-old son. Her former partner of seven years, Cesar Perez, revealed that he is yet to find out how she suddenly passed away.
"I’m just trying to figure out what’s going to be the best way to let her son know his mother is no longer here," Perez said, per The Mirror. He added that the mother of his son was "one-of-a-kind," and described her as someone who could "always find a way to bring a smile to your face".
Silas' heartbroken ex-partner claims that the young mom wouldn't have hurt herself and also alleged that she had been traveling with a man she had met in Oklahoma. "I just want to know the truth. What happened?" he asked.
It was not disclosed what brought the mom-of-one to the border between Arkansas and Tennessee, but police officers do not think foul play was involved in this case.
While officials explained that no identification was found on Silas, her grieving mom, LaRena Darrow, alleged someone had her phone. She said when she tried to call it, it was answered by a man she did not recognize.
"And I said, 'This is my daughter’s profile, what are you doing on it?' And he said, 'Well, I’m sorry, Hailey doesn’t have a phone anymore,'" Darrow told the outlet. "I don’t want to think about my baby being hurt like that and nobody being there to save her or being there to help her."
"I have no idea. I had spoken with her Thursday night and she had sent me a couple pictures of her on a bridge and she looked so happy."
"And she was about to go sing karaoke and that was the last time I talked to her," the mom added. "She was an amazing mother. My grandson is missing out on such a wonderful person. She was such an angel."
The cause of Silas’ death remains unknown as the incident is currently under investigation.
Our thoughts are with Slias' family and friends at this time.
