In a Lexington County courtroom, a judge has kept a 25-year-old father, Michael Comer, behind bars while his case moves forward. He stands accused of burying his 11-month-old son alive in a dog crate in a stand of scrubby pines, an act that brought dozens of rescuers into a long, anxious search. The boy survived roughly a day underground, and the reasons behind such a act remain unexplained, leaving a family and a community to hold grief and questions at once. The next chapter arrives on December 10, when a court will take up what the law can say about a moment no one can yet fully understand.
Bond Denied for South Carolina Father Accused of Burying Infant Son in Dog Crate
An 11-month-old boy was buried alive in a dog crate and rescued after about 24 hours; he was released from hospital.
Rescuers dug Koah out after roughly 24 hours underground.
Mark
Why did the judge deny bond?
Mimi
The lead investigator told the court Michael Comer showed no remorse for trying to kill his son and had tried to leave the state. Those were the points put before Judge Reinhart.
Luke
Worth noting those are the investigator's statements in court, not findings. Nothing here says they've been tested yet.
Mark
How did the boy survive about 24 hours underground?
Mimi
Sheriff Koon said the cool temperatures and an air pocket from a towel wrapped around the crate likely helped.
Luke
And that's the sheriff's assessment, with the 24 hours an estimate. He said "probably."
Mark
What do we know about the family's history?
Mimi
In October Comer was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to domestic violence involving Koah's mother. His mother also told authorities about earlier suicidal statements and a talk of going to New York.
Luke
Be careful, though. None of that has been offered as a motive. Authorities have said nothing about why.
Mark
What happens next?
Mimi
A public defender has been approved, and there's a hearing Dec. 10.
Luke
Right, and no attorney had actually been appointed yet, so we haven't heard his side.
O Pulso
- A search across the countryside ended with rescuers digging an infant out of the earth after roughly a day underground.
- The suspect's father opened his home to his son and grandson, only to be left grappling with a horror he cannot comprehend.
- Charges of attempted murder and related offenses have been filed, and a judge refused bond, keeping Comer in custody.
- A public defender has been assigned, and a December 10 hearing will test prior probation, suicidal statements, and the still-unnamed motive.
- The boy has been released from the hospital, but the investigation into why this happened is only beginning.
In a Lexington County courtroom, a judge has kept a 25-year-old father, Michael Comer, behind bars while his case moves forward. He stands accused of burying his 11-month-old son alive in a dog crate in a stand of scrubby pines, an act that brought dozens of rescuers into a long, anxious search. The boy survived roughly a day underground, and the reasons behind such a act remain unexplained, leaving a family and a community to hold grief and questions at once. The next chapter arrives on December 10, when a court will take up what the law can say about a moment no one can yet fully understand.
A judge in Lexington County, South Carolina, denied bond on Thursday for Michael Comer, 25, accused of burying his 11-month-old son alive in a dog crate in a clump of scrubby pines. Investigators told the court that Comer showed no remorse and had tried to leave the state. A public defender was approved, and the next hearing was set for Dec. 10.
The search began Monday, when the boy was reported missing. Dozens of first responders combed the countryside until authorities found freshly disturbed soil and heard cries from beneath it. Rescuers dug 11-month-old Koah out after roughly 24 hours. Sheriff Jay Koon said the child was clinging to life when he was freed, but he was released from the hospital Tuesday night. The sheriff believes cool temperatures and a towel wrapped around the crate, which kept an air pocket open, helped the boy survive.
John Comer, the suspect's father and the boy's grandfather, had taken in his son and grandson on Monday. He later showed an AP reporter the hole where his grandson was found, saying he could not imagine how anyone could arrive at such a choice. Comer's mother has told authorities about earlier suicidal statements and a plan to take Koah to New York. Michael Comer was sentenced to probation in October for domestic violence involving the boy's mother. Authorities have not disclosed a motive, and the question remains open.
A judge in Lexington County, South Carolina, denied bond on Thursday for Michael Comer, the 25-year-old accused of burying his 11-month-old son alive in a dog crate in a clump of scrubby pines.
Tyler Douglas, the lead investigator for the Lexington County Sheriff's Department, told Judge Gary W. Reinhart that Comer showed no remorse for trying to kill his son, Koah, and that he had tried to leave the state. Reinhart approved a public defender for Comer and set the next hearing for Dec. 10. An attorney had not yet been appointed at the time of the hearing.
Comer is charged with attempted murder, unlawful conduct toward a child, custodial interference and burglary. He has been in custody in Lexington County since Monday, the day his son was reported missing.
Dozens of first responders searched the countryside for the boy, who has reddish blond hair. After a full day, authorities found freshly disturbed soil and heard cries coming from beneath it, Sheriff Jay Koon said. Rescuers dug Koah out after roughly 24 hours underground. Koon told reporters the child was "clinging to life" when he was freed. He was released from the hospital Tuesday night.
The sheriff said cool temperatures and an air pocket likely helped the boy survive. A towel had been wrapped around the crate below ground, and Koon said it probably provided enough air for the estimated 24 hours under the dirt. He credited the grace of God.
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 had 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.
Comer's mother told authorities about earlier suicidal statements her son had made. She also said he had talked about taking Koah to New York, where he claimed to have friends who could help him find work.
Authorities have not said what motive may lie behind the burial. In October, Comer was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to domestic violence involving Koah's mother. The sheriff said the boy's parents "have had some situations," and added that children sometimes get caught in the middle.
With bond denied, Comer remains in custody. The Dec. 10 hearing is the next scheduled step, and the question of motive remains open.
Citações Notáveis
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, the suspect's father, to the AP
Children sometimes get caught in the middle.— Sheriff Jay Koon
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Leia o original em Live 5 News WCSC ↗