‘She was such an angel’: Family mourning after 22-year-old OK mother found dead on TN barge
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG) — A woman whose body was found on a barge in the Mississippi River last weekend had repeatedly called 911 asking for help in West Memphis, Arkansas, before her death, records show.
Hailey Silas was 22 years old and from Oklahoma. Her identity was confirmed by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department on Tuesday.
Her body was found by the barge crew on Saturday morning, a few hours after the barge left Memphis.
22-year-old Oklahoma woman’s body found on river barge in Tennessee
Heartbroken doesn’t begin to describe the emotion LaRena Darrow is feeling after finding out her daughter is dead.
“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,” Darrow said.
What brought the Oklahoma woman to the border between Arkansas and Tennessee so far remains a mystery. But the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office doesn’t believe foul play is involved.
“I have no idea. I had spoken with her Thursday night and she had send me a couple pictures of her on a bridge and she looked so happy,” Darrow said. “And she was about to go sing karaoke and that was the last time I talked to her.”
But West Memphis, Arkansas, records show that Silas was taken into custody by police on Oct. 15. A police report says she repeatedly called 911 from a gas station across from Southland Casino, asking police to give her a ride out of the city because she was scared of something.
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When police arrived she told them she was having a “panic attack.” They took her to the station in handcuffs. She asked to talk to her mom and dad, said she was scared and confused, and asked to be taken to a “psych ward.”
Silas pleaded guilty last Wednesday to a misdemeanor charge of communicating a false alarm, a charge similar to filing a false report. She was given a suspended sentence of time served, according to records. There’s also a psychological evaluation report filed with the courts but no evidence of what it says.
She was found dead three days later.
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“She was an amazing mother. My grandson is missing out on such a wonderful person. She was such an angel,” Darrow said.
Officials say Silas was not found with any identification, but Darrow says someone has Silas’ phone. She said when she tried to call it, a man answered but she didn’t know who he was.
“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 said.
The entire incident, including the cause of Silas’ death, is still under investigation.
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