| DATE OF REPORT: | July 8, 2026 | LOCATION: | Hattiesburg, MS |
| CASE TYPE: | Death Investigation / Child Endangerment | CASE STATUS: | ACTIVE |
On July 8, 2026, emergency dispatch received a call from a juvenile male, later identified as Chris Hargrove, reporting the discovery of human remains at a location in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
Upon arrival at the scene, responding officers located Hargrove. Hargrove was found unresponsive, positioned adjacent to a shallow grave site, and was pronounced deceased on arrival (DOA). Discovered in his possession was a blue/purple "Bonnie the Bunny" plush toy, which he was holding firmly on his lap.
Exhumation of the grave site revealed highly decomposed human remains. Due to the advanced stage of decomposition spanning several years, the Medical Examiner’s (ME) office was unable to make an immediate identification. Following an extensive post-mortem examination and forensic analysis, the remains were positively identified as Jake Maeclaen, a juvenile who had been reported missing on December 20, 2019.
The biological mother of V1, Sarah Maeclaen, was formally notified of the identification.
A preliminary autopsy report for Chris Hargrove (V2) indicated a history of chronic physical abuse and severe underage alcohol consumption over an extended period. Based on these forensic findings, a secondary investigation into child abuse and endangerment was initiated.
The biological mother of V2, Shayla Hargrove, was subsequently taken into custody and transported to police headquarters, where she remains under active interrogation.
Sarah Maeclaen (Mother of V1) provided the following official statement: