Father charged with attempted murder after burying 11-month-old son alive in Lexington County
Michael Comer, 25, was arrested after his infant son Koah was found buried alive in a dog crate in South Carolina. The baby survived roughly 24 hours underground.
Baby Koah found alive after being buried in dog crate by father
A 25-year-old South Carolina man has been charged with attempted murder after his 11-month-old son was found buried alive inside a dog crate, kptv.com reports. Michael Comer was arrested Monday night in a shed in Batesburg, Lexington County.
The infant, Koah Sharp, was discovered Tuesday afternoon — more than 24 hours after he was last seen in his father's care. Investigators located Koah at the home of Comer's father, where they observed pine straw and freshly disturbed dirt before hearing the child cry beneath the ground.
"So, as you imagine, the race was on," Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said. "Everybody's getting down there trying to get him out."
Koon said the boy had been wrapped in a towel inside the dog crate before being buried. "By the grace of God, [it] probably provided enough air for him to survive an estimated 24 hours under that dirt," Koon said.
According to the Lexington County Sheriff's Department, Comer faces additional charges of unlawful conduct toward a child, custodial interference, and burglary.
Sheriff Koon said Comer's mother had been caring for Koah on Monday when Comer arrived at the home. She left the infant in his care while a second caregiver was on the way. "By the time the caregiver got there, Michael was gone and Koah was gone with him," Koon said.
Family members filed a missing persons report Monday afternoon. Authorities subsequently searched the home of Comer's father, finding both doors open and the baby's belongings inside — but no sign of either Comer or Koah.
Koah was treated at a local hospital following his rescue. His condition was not specified in the report.
Court records show Comer had been placed on probation just over a month earlier, following a guilty plea for aggravated breach of peace. He also had prior arrests earlier this year on charges of domestic violence and a weapons-related offence.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)