Adam Mayes, ex-wife charged with killing Tennessee mom and daughter

Adam Mayes and his ex-wife have been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of a Tennessee woman and her eldest daughter. Two other children remain missing and are believed to be with Mayes, a fugitive being sought in at least two Southern states.

Tennessee investigators announced the latest round of charges on Wednesday even as authorities stepped up their search for Mayes, 35, who was seen in a video visiting a convenience store in Union County, Miss., near where he lived with his ex-wife, Teresa, and mother, Mary. Both women are in jail in Hardeman County, Tenn., about 80 miles from their Mississippi home.

According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Adam and Teresa Mayes have each been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of especially aggravated kidnapping in connection with the disappearance of four members of the Bain family in Hardeman County. Adam Mayes has been described by authorities as a friend of the Bain family.

Adam Mayes was at the Bain family home on April 27 when the missing family was last seen. Authorities say that Adam Mayes killed the mother, Jo Ann Bain, 31, and her eldest daughter, Adrienne, 14, at their Tennessee home. Then, with the help of Teresa Mayes, Adam Mayes transported the bodies to Mississippi; the corpses were found there last week in a shallow grave behind the home of Mary Mayes.

Two other Bain children were also taken to Mississippi, authorities allege. Alexandria Bain, 12, and Kyliyah Bain, 8, remain missing and are believed to be with Adam Mayes, who has been the subject of a fierce manhunt.

On Monday, authorities arrested Adam Mayes’ mother, Mary Frances Mayes, 65, of Guntown, Miss. She was charged with four counts of conspiracy to commit especially aggravated kidnapping and is being held in the Hardeman County Jail in lieu of a $300,000 bail bond.

Teresa Mayes was also arrested on Monday and charged with conspiracy. She has also been interviewed by authorities, according to affidavits filed in the case. Investigators say that Teresa Mayes was present during the murders and has admitted helping her former husband transport the bodies to Mississippi.

Mary and Teresa Mayes are scheduled for a preliminary hearing on May 22.

A reward totaling $71,000 is being offered for information leading to Mayes’ arrest and the location of Alexandria and Kyliyah Bain: $50,000 from the U.S. Marshals, $15,000 from Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and $6,000 from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Mayes was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list on Wednesday.

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Michael.muskal@latimes.com