Taylor Syring’s parents lovingly described his son as caring and full of life. Sadly, the six-year-old drowned during a trip to Padre Island, Texas, in October 2012 with his stepmom, Laura Lee Day.
The ABC 20/20 episode “Wave of Deceit” showcased that Laura Day was convicted based on prosecutors’ arguments that she allowed her stepson, Taylor, to enter the surf without a life jacket.
Highlights
- Taylor mother Kelly was devastated to learn her husband David having an affair with Laura.
- Kelly regrets allowing Taylor to go to beach with his stepmom, Laura.
- When Taylor father, David searched up online, he knew Laura changed her name to Laura Feista and had criminal records.
Day told police she watched Taylor play in shallow water at a North Padre Island beach and allowed him to take off his life jacket.
She said he disappeared beneath the surf and was found face down. Day brought Taylor to a hospital on October 5, but attempts to revive him failed.
The prosecutor confidently asserted that Laura Day took the life of the little boy while making it appear accidental.
Taylor Syring’s Mother, Kelly Syring, Regrets Sending Him To The Beach With His Stepmom
Kelly resides in Texas and works as a massage therapist at a wellness center.
During the unfortunate incident, her husband, David Syring, had an affair with Laura Day, who was also married.
She mentioned feeling deeply hurt and angry, especially because their son Taylor was devastated by the situation.
Just months after separating from Kelly, David married Laura, a decision influenced by a clause in their divorce agreement.
That weekend, Kelly allowed her son Taylor to visit his father, David.
She later expressed regret, stating she wouldn’t have allowed Taylor to go if she had known Laura was picking him up.
Tragically, Laura’s trip to the beach with Taylor ended with her rushing his unresponsive body to a local hospital.
Kelly also recalled Laura’s demeanor on the day Taylor passed away, noting,
“She was just standing there. Not doing anything. Not crying. Just standing there, as if she had the right to be there.”
Kelly Syring
Kelly has honored her son Taylor’s memory in various ways. On his tenth birthday in 2016, she organized a Splash Day at the Corpus Christi Natatorium in Texas.
Similarly, in 2021, Kelly commemorated Taylor’s birthday by camping out at a national forest in Colorado.
She cherishes Taylor’s memory while focusing on her career and community involvement.
Taylor Syring’s Father, David Syring, Admitted He Was So Naive To Trust Laura
On the day Taylor died, David Syring revealed that he had discovered just one week earlier about Laura Day’s involvement in a series of felonies.
Day had assured him that she was innocent, and he believed her explanations, finding them believable and plausible.
Further, he found out her birth name was Laura Feist, then 17 years old, was dating a 21-year-old college student named James Kendall in Laguna Beach, California.
When Kendall attempted to end their relationship, Laura fired him before turning the weapon on herself.
After Laura Day was charged with child endangerment in connection with Taylor’s death, she quickly posted $50,000 bail and returned home within 24 hours.
David Syring noted that her behavior seemed strange.
That day, she was eager to resume normal life and even suggested moving to Florida to distract him from his emotions.
Luckily, she was again taken into custody when a witness, Rene Ruiz, approached the case.
However, Taylor’s father acknowledged that he felt so naive for standing by Laura Day for as long as he did.
He admitted that amidst everything, many warning signs went unnoticed.
Additional Information
- Laura Day claimed it was a case of mistaken identity and insisted it wasn’t her involved in the crime.
- Day picked Taylor up from his school in Corpus Christi and explained that he wanted to picnic on the beach.
- Kelly insisted on including a clause in the divorce decree stating that overnight guests were prohibited from being around Taylor unless David married them.
