Faye Swetlik Murder: The 2020 Cayce Neighborhood Abduction & Forensic Timeline Dossier

On the afternoon of Monday, February 10, 2020, six-year-old first-grader Faye Marie Swetlik stepped off her school bus in the quiet Churchill Heights subdivision of Cayce, South Carolina, and was playing in her front yard when she vanished. Her disappearance triggered a massive multi-agency search involving hundreds of law enforcement personnel, FBI Evidence Response Teams, and tracking canines. On February 13, 2020, investigators searching neighborhood trash receptacles discovered critical physical evidence belonging to Faye, which led directly to the recovery of her body in adjacent woods and the immediate discovery of neighbor Coty Scott Taylor deceased by suicide inside his home, concluding an intense 72-hour forensic investigation.

The Front Yard Abduction & Multi-Agency Search Mobilization

Faye Swetlik arrived home from Springdale Elementary School at approximately 3:45 PM on February 10, 2020. Her mother checked on her playing in the front yard at 3:45 PM; when she looked outside again at 4:00 PM, Faye had disappeared. An immediate 911 call mobilized the Cayce Department of Public Safety under Director Byron Snellgrove.

Over the next forty-eight hours, more than 250 law enforcement officers from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and FBI executed door-to-door canvasses, interviewed over 100 neighborhood residents, reviewed Ring doorbell camera footage, and searched nearby wooded trails.

The Trash Can Clue & Recovery of the Body

On the morning of Thursday, February 13, investigators methodically searched neighborhood trash cans set out for weekly sanitation collection. Inside a trash can belonging to 30-year-old neighbor Coty Scott Taylor—who lived just 150 feet away—investigators discovered critical physical evidence: a freshly discarded polka-dot boot belonging to Faye and soup ladles containing biological matter.

Moments later, searchers deployed to a wooded drainage buffer behind Taylor’s property discovered Faye Swetlik’s body. The autopsy conducted by Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher revealed she died from asphyxia due to manual strangulation hours after her abduction.

The Suicide of Coty Taylor & Definitive DNA Confirmation

As police secured the perimeter around Taylor’s residence on Picadilly Square, a 911 call reported a man bleeding on the back patio. Officers entered and found Coty Scott Taylor deceased from a self-inflicted incised neck wound. SLED forensic scientists processed Taylor’s residence, recovering DNA and biological evidence matching Faye Swetlik throughout the interior.

Forensic examination confirmed that Taylor acted alone and had zero prior violent criminal record, ending the community’s terror within 72 hours of the abduction.

Community Resilience & The Faye Marie Swetlik Memorial Park

The town of Cayce rallied around the Swetlik family, establishing the Faye Marie Swetlik Memorial Park and Butterfly Garden to honor her joyful spirit. The case demonstrated the vital importance of rigorous sanitation search protocols and rapid multi-agency command integration in acute juvenile abduction investigations.

The Cayce Neighborhood Search & Multi-Agency Response

On the afternoon of February 10, 2020, six-year-old first-grader Faye Marie Swetlik arrived home from school on her bus and was playing in the front yard of her home in the Churchill Heights neighborhood of Cayce, South Carolina. By 3:45 PM, her family discovered she was missing. Over 250 law enforcement officers from the Cayce Department of Public Safety, SLED, and the FBI mobilized, conducting door-to-door searches, vehicle checkpoints, and aerial thermal scans.

Investigators meticulously canvassed all 130 homes in the subdivision, interviewing residents, reviewing security camera footage, and cataloging every vehicle entering and exiting the neighborhood during the critical timeframe.

The Trash Can Discovery & Woodland Recovery

On the morning of February 13, 2020, Cayce Public Safety officers conducted a scheduled search of neighborhood sanitation bins. In a residential trash can belonging to 30-year-old neighbor Coty Scott Taylor, detectives discovered a discarded child’s polka-dot boot and freshly discarded ladle with soil residue.

Moments later, search teams scouring the wooded area behind the subdivision discovered Faye Swetlik’s body concealed in dense brush. An autopsy performed by the Lexington County Coroner determined that Faye had died from asphyxiation within hours of her abduction.

Perpetrator Suicide & Conclusive Forensic Closure

Shortly after law enforcement secured the crime scene, officers responding to a 911 call discovered Coty Scott Taylor dead on the back porch of his residence from self-inflicted wounds. SLED forensic criminalists processed Taylor’s home and vehicle, uncovering overwhelming biological DNA and physical trace evidence linking Taylor directly to the abduction and murder.

The rapid, meticulous evidence processing by the Cayce Department of Public Safety and SLED prevented an ongoing community crisis and demonstrated the critical importance of exhaustive neighborhood-level forensic canvas protocols in child abduction emergencies.

Rapid Multi-Jurisdictional Incident Command & Grid Canvassing

The search for Faye Swetlik demonstrated the highest standards of modern emergency incident command. The Cayce Department of Public Safety immediately established a Unified Command structure incorporating the FBI’s Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) team and SLED forensic criminalists. Over three days, search teams conducted a systematic grid search of the Churchill Heights subdivision, logging GPS coordinates for every structure and sanitation bin.

This rigorous spatial methodology was directly responsible for locating the critical physical evidence in Coty Taylor’s trash can, rapidly resolving the case and ensuring absolute forensic certainty regarding the perpetrator’s sole responsibility.

Behavioral Analysis & Digital Device Forensics

Following the discovery of Taylor’s body, SLED digital forensic analysts processed his electronic devices, including computers and mobile phones. Digital timeline reconstruction revealed that Taylor had conducted searches regarding police movement and neighborhood activity immediately following the abduction.

The integration of physical evidence, digital forensics, and forensic pathology provided complete answers to the community, establishing an airtight investigative record that closed the case with full forensic certainty.

Cayce Public Safety Tactical Review & Community Resilience

The investigation into the abduction of Faye Marie Swetlik stands as a case study in rapid multi-agency emergency deployment. Cayce Public Safety Chief Byron Snellgrove coordinated hundreds of law enforcement personnel, ensuring that search grids were executed with mathematical precision and comprehensive evidentiary preservation.

The swift discovery of physical evidence in the neighborhood sanitation bins prevented an extended community crisis, ensuring complete legal and forensic certainty regarding the perpetrator’s sole responsibility while providing enduring lessons for rapid-response child search operations across the country.

Comprehensive Digital Surveillance Integration in Subdivisions

Investigators compiled over 200 hours of high-definition doorbell and dashcam video recordings from surrounding residents. By synchronizing timestamps across private residential cameras, SLED analysts established the precise 12-minute window during which Taylor committed the crime, eliminating any possibility of outside accomplices and providing undeniable forensic finality.

Case Timeline & Forensic Milestones

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Frequently Asked Questions About This Case

Who was responsible for the murder of Faye Swetlik?

Coty Scott Taylor, a 30-year-old neighbor who lived 150 feet away in the Churchill Heights neighborhood, was identified as the sole perpetrator via DNA evidence before taking his own life.

How did investigators break the case open?

Investigators discovered critical physical evidence, including Faye’s boot, inside Coty Taylor’s curbside trash can during a systematic search on February 13, 2020.

Where was Faye Swetlik’s body recovered?

Her body was recovered in a wooded buffer zone located between the Churchill Heights subdivision and a nearby apartment complex.

SLED Digital Video Synchronicity & Unified Spatial Grid Analysis

The search operations conducted by Cayce Public Safety and SLED during the Faye Swetlik investigation demonstrated the power of synchronizing civilian doorbell camera footage with systematic physical grid searches. This multi-layered methodology isolated the suspect’s movements within minutes, providing absolute legal and scientific closure for the grieving community.