In a courtroom in Lexington County, South Carolina, a magistrate has kept a 25-year-old father, Michael Comer, behind bars after he was accused of burying his eleven-month-old son in a dog crate beneath scrubby pines. The child was found alive after a day of searching, a fragile reminder of how thin the line can be between catastrophe and survival. No motive has yet been named, and the questions of why a parent would do such a thing, and what warning signs came before, now move toward a December hearing where the record may begin to answer them.
Bond Denied for South Carolina Father Accused of Burying 11-Month-Old Son Alive
An 11-month-old boy was buried alive in a dog crate, survived after about 24 hours of searching, and was hospitalized before being released.
Koah was freed soon after and, in the sheriff's words, was clinging to life.
Mark
Start with the basics. What did the court actually decide on Thursday?
Mimi
Magistrate Gary Reinhart denied bond for Michael Comer, appointed a public defender, and set a hearing for Dec. 10. Comer is charged with attempted murder, burglary and unlawfully placing a child at risk.
Mark
What persuaded the magistrate to deny bond?
Mimi
The lead investigator, Tyler Douglas, said Comer showed no remorse and tried to flee the state. Those are his statements in court, not findings yet.
Luke
Right, and that's worth keeping straight. Remorse and flight are the investigator's characterization. We haven't heard Comer's side, and no attorney has been appointed yet.
Mark
How did the boy survive about 24 hours underground?
Mimi
Sheriff Jay Koon said cool temperatures and an air pocket from a towel wrapped around the crate likely helped. Searchers found disturbed soil and heard cries. Koah was released from the hospital Tuesday night and is expected to recover fully.
Luke
Note the word "likely." That's the sheriff's assessment of why he lived, not a medical conclusion we've seen.
Mark
What about motive?
Mimi
Nothing has been revealed. Comer was on probation after an October guilty plea to domestic violence involving Koah's mother, and the sheriff said the parents have had some situations.
Luke
And the mother's 911 call describes mental illness and threats of suicide. That's her account as a worried parent. It isn't a diagnosis on the record, and nobody has tied it to what happened. Motive is still unknown.
Mark
So what should readers watch?
Mimi
The Dec. 10 hearing, for charging details and whether any of that background enters the case.
O Pulso
- A father is held without bond after allegedly burying his infant son alive, and the community is left reeling.
- Dozens of first responders combed the countryside for a missing child before freshly disturbed soil and faint cries led them to the boy.
- A towel wrapped around the crate and cool temperatures are credited with keeping Koah alive through the ordeal.
- Authorities have not disclosed a motive, while a 911 call raises concerns about the suspect's mental health and a recent domestic violence conviction.
- With a public defender appointed and a hearing set for Dec. 10, the case is still forming, and the boy is expected to recover.
In a courtroom in Lexington County, South Carolina, a magistrate has kept a 25-year-old father, Michael Comer, behind bars after he was accused of burying his eleven-month-old son in a dog crate beneath scrubby pines. The child was found alive after a day of searching, a fragile reminder of how thin the line can be between catastrophe and survival. No motive has yet been named, and the questions of why a parent would do such a thing, and what warning signs came before, now move toward a December hearing where the record may begin to answer them.
On Thursday, a magistrate in Lexington County, South Carolina, denied bond to Michael Comer, a 25-year-old man accused of burying his 11-month-old son alive in a dog crate beneath a clump of scrubby pines. The lead investigator told the court that Comer showed no remorse and had tried to flee the state. Comer is charged with attempted murder, burglary and placing a child at risk, and he has been in custody since Monday, when the boy was reported missing.
The search drew dozens of first responders. After a full day, they found freshly disturbed soil and heard cries from below. The boy, Koah, was freed clinging to life, and the sheriff believes cool temperatures and an air pocket from the towel around the crate helped him survive. He was released from the hospital Tuesday night and is expected to make a full recovery.
The boy's grandfather, John Comer, had opened his home to his son and grandson that Monday. He showed a reporter the small hole on a neighbor's property and said he could not understand how anyone could do such a thing.
Authorities have offered no motive. Comer had recently pleaded guilty to domestic violence involving the boy's mother and was on probation. A 911 call released Thursday offers further context: Patricia Comer described her son as severely mentally ill and said he had threatened suicide and talked of taking the child to New York. The next step is a Dec. 10 hearing, which may clarify the charges, the motive, and whether her account becomes part of the case.
On Thursday, in a courtroom in Lexington County, South Carolina, a magistrate refused bond for Michael Comer, a 25-year-old man accused of burying his 11-month-old son alive in a dog crate beneath a clump of scrubby pines.
Tyler Douglas, the lead investigator for the Lexington County Sheriff's Department, told Magistrate Gary W. Reinhart that Comer showed no remorse for trying to kill the boy, Koah, and that he tried to flee the state. Reinhart approved a public defender for Comer and set a hearing for Dec. 10. An attorney has not yet been appointed.
Comer is charged with attempted murder, burglary and unlawfully placing a child at risk. He has been in custody in Lexington County since Monday, the day his son was reported missing. Koah was found after about 24 hours, survived, and is expected to make a full recovery. Sheriff Jay Koon said the boy was released from the hospital Tuesday night.
The search drew dozens of first responders, who combed the countryside for a child with reddish-blond hair. After a full day, authorities came upon freshly disturbed soil and heard cries from below, the sheriff said. Koah was freed soon after and, in the sheriff's words, was clinging to life. Koon said the boy likely survived because of cool temperatures and an air pocket created by a towel wrapped around the crate underground.
John Comer, the suspect's father and the boy's grandfather, said he had opened his home to his son and grandson on Monday after Michael Comer said they needed a place to stay. On Wednesday he showed an Associated Press reporter the small hole on a neighbor's property where rescuers uncovered the child. He said he could not imagine how anyone could come to believe that was the right thing to do, or to do it at all.
Authorities have not said anything about a motive. In October, Comer was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to domestic violence involving the boy's mother. Koon said Koah's parents have had some situations, and that children sometimes get caught in the middle.
A 911 call released Thursday adds some context. Patricia Comer, who identified Michael as her son, told the dispatcher he has severe schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. She said she had been worried about leaving Koah with his father that morning. According to her, he had threatened to kill himself the night before and asked her for sleeping pills. She also said he kept talking about taking the child to New York, which he could not do because he is on probation.
The Dec. 10 hearing is the next scheduled step. It may bring more detail on the charges and, possibly, on motive, and it may show whether the mother's account of Comer's mental health becomes part of the case.
Citações Notáveis
Children sometimes get caught in the middle.— Sheriff Jay Koon
He could not imagine how somebody could come to the point that this would be the right thing to do.— John Comer, the suspect's father, to the AP
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Leia o original em Santa Ana Orange County Register ↗