In a quiet courtroom in Lexington County, South Carolina, a magistrate refused bond for a 25-year-old father accused of burying his infant son alive in a dog crate beneath scrubby pines. The child, eleven months old, was pulled from the earth after a full day of searching, a survival that the sheriff attributes to cool air and a towel that left a small pocket of breath below ground. Much remains unexplained, including why a parent would reach for such a thing, and the answer has not yet been offered by those who know the most. The case now waits for December 10, when the machinery of the law w
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 and survived after rescuers found him following a day-long search.
Rescuers found him after about 24 hours, clinging to life
Mark
What stands out most to me is how fast this unfolded. Reported missing Monday, found about 24 hours later?
Mimi
Yes. Dozens of first responders searched the countryside, and it ended when they saw freshly disturbed soil and heard cries from underneath. Koah was freed and, the sheriff said, was clinging to life.
Mark
And he's expected to recover fully, which seems almost hard to believe.
Mimi
The sheriff credited cool temperatures and an air pocket made by a towel wrapped around the crate underground. He was out of the hospital by Tuesday night.
Luke
Worth noting that's the sheriff's explanation of why he survived. It's a likely cause, not a medical finding we've seen.
Mark
Fair. What did the court hearing establish?
Mimi
Bond was denied. The lead investigator told the magistrate that Comer showed no remorse and tried to flee the state. A public defender was approved and a hearing is set for Dec. 10.
Luke
Those claims about remorse and flight came from the investigator in court. They're allegations, and Comer's side hasn't been heard because no attorney had been appointed yet.
Mark
And the mother's 911 call?
Mimi
She described his mental health conditions, said he'd threatened suicide the night before, and that he talked about taking the boy to New York despite being on probation.
Luke
Those are her descriptions, not a diagnosis confirmed in the reporting. And no motive has been given. The October domestic violence probation is a fact, but nobody has tied it to what happened.
Il Polso
- A father is held without bond after allegedly burying his 11-month-old son alive in a dog crate.
- Dozens of first responders combed the countryside for a day before freshly disturbed soil and faint cries led them to the boy.
- Investigators say the suspect showed no remorse and tried to flee the state, while a public defender has just been appointed.
- The boy is out of the hospital and expected to recover, but no motive has been disclosed and a December 10 hearing lies ahead.
In a quiet courtroom in Lexington County, South Carolina, a magistrate refused bond for a 25-year-old father accused of burying his infant son alive in a dog crate beneath scrubby pines. The child, eleven months old, was pulled from the earth after a full day of searching, a survival that the sheriff attributes to cool air and a towel that left a small pocket of breath below ground. Much remains unexplained, including why a parent would reach for such a thing, and the answer has not yet been offered by those who know the most. The case now waits for December 10, when the machinery of the law will take up what the ground has already revealed.
A magistrate in Lexington County, South Carolina, denied bond on Thursday to Michael Comer, 25, who is accused of burying his 11-month-old son alive in a dog crate beneath a clump of pines. The lead investigator told the court that Comer showed no remorse and attempted to flee the state. A public defender was appointed, and a hearing is set for December 10.
The boy, Koah, was found after about 24 hours of searching by dozens of first responders. Authorities came across freshly disturbed soil and heard cries from below. The sheriff said the child was clinging to life, and believes cool temperatures and an air pocket from a towel around the crate kept him alive. Koah was released from the hospital Tuesday night and is expected to make a full recovery.
Comer's father, John, had taken in his son and grandson on Monday, and he showed an AP reporter the small hole where the child was uncovered. "I cannot imagine how somebody could come to the point that that would be the right thing to do," he said.
Authorities have not offered a motive. Comer had recently been sentenced to probation for domestic violence involving the boy's mother. In a 911 call released Thursday, Comer's mother described his severe mental illness, said he had threatened suicide, and voiced fears about leaving Koah with him that morning.
A magistrate in Lexington County, South Carolina, denied bond on Thursday 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.
The lead investigator for the Lexington County Sheriff's Department, Tyler Douglas, told Magistrate Gary W. Reinhart that Comer showed no remorse for trying to kill the boy, Koah, and that he attempted to flee the state. Reinhart approved a public defender for Comer and set a hearing for Dec. 10. An attorney had not yet been appointed at the time of the proceeding.
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 survived and is expected to make a full recovery. Sheriff Jay Koon said the boy was released from a hospital Tuesday night.
Rescuers found Koah after about 24 hours. Dozens of first responders had combed the countryside for the child, who has reddish-blond hair. After a full day of searching, the sheriff said, authorities came across freshly disturbed soil and heard cries from below. The boy was freed soon after and, in the sheriff's words, was "clinging to life." Koon said he 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. "I cannot imagine how somebody could come to the point that that would be the right thing to do, or the thing to do at all," he told the AP.
Authorities have not said anything about a motive. Court history offers some background: 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," adding that children sometimes get caught in the middle.
A 911 call released Thursday adds detail about the morning of the disappearance. Patricia Comer, who identified herself as the suspect's mother, told a dispatcher her son had "severe schizophrenia and bipolar and depression." She said she had been somewhat 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 saying he was going to take the child to New York, which he could not do because he was on probation.
With bond denied, Comer remains in custody ahead of the Dec. 10 hearing, when his case will move forward with a public defender at his side.
Citazioni salienti
I cannot imagine how somebody could come to the point that that would be the right thing to do, or the thing to do at all.— John Comer, suspect's father, to the AP
Children sometimes get caught in the middle.— Sheriff Jay Koon
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