Dad accused of burying baby son alive for 24 hours is ordered held in jail after being charged with the infant’s attempted murder
A Southern California man who is accused of kidnapping and burying his infant son alive has been denied bond.
Michael Comer, 25, allegedly buried his 11-month-old son, Koah Sharp, inside a dog crate near his grandfather’s home in Batesburg-Leesville on November 9.
The next day, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office issued a news release urging the public to share any information about the missing baby.
The County office wrote: ‘Koah was taken by his father, Michael Comer,’ and added: ‘Comer was arrested on a burglary charge late Monday night by Lexington County deputies, but Koah was not with him.’
Comer has been charged with attempted murder and unlawfully placing a child at risk, according to AP NEWS.
Comer is now held in custody without release and must remain in jail while awaiting his court date.
According to WLTX, two victims’ advocates asked the judge if bond could be denied, advocating on behalf of Koah, stating Comer showed ‘no remorse’ after learning his son had been found alive.
On Monday evening, Comer was found in an outbuilding in Batesburg and arrested on charges of burglary and resisting arrest, with ‘not much to say about the whereabouts of the baby’
Koah had been in the care of his grandmother, his 25-year-old father Comer’s mother Trish Comer, which Koon said ‘happens quite often’
Koon spoke briefly on Comer’s relationship with the child’s mother, Dezarae Sharp, stating there have been ‘recent domestic violence-type charges and outcomes in court’
Sheriff Jay Koon described baby Koah’s cries as joyful when he discovered him buried, ‘clinging for life,’ according to a press briefing on Tuesday.
Koon said the 11-month-old was buried in a ‘dog crate wrapped in a towel.’
Koon said Koah was initially in the care of Comer’s mother, Patricia Comer, who left the baby with him to run an errand until a ‘caregiver’ was scheduled to arrive.
When the caregiver arrived, both Michael and his baby were no longer at the home.
Patricia said: ‘I have not slept in over 24 hours…you don’t know what it’s like to lose a grandchild like that and have your son do something like this,’ in a Facebook post.
‘I’m not trying to play the woe me card, but this whole situation has been heartbreaking,’ she added.
Koon said he learned the baby was missing and traced Comer and his son back to Comer’s father’s house just up a block.
Koon said he ‘found both doors open, baby’s belongings in the house, with no sign of Michael or the baby.’
The search effort involved around 100 emergency responders, as the 11-month-old is believed to have spent a horrifying 24 hours buried beneath the dirt before he was finally discovered
Comer’s mother, Patricha Comer, said that she knew her ‘son’s a problem,’ but ‘did not know that he was this bad.’ ‘He loved that baby, he’d do anything for that baby,’ she said
‘As the day went on and nobody came forward, it was certainly more and more concerning.’
A search party was organized near Comer’s father’s house, ‘about 50 yards in the woods,’ where Koah was heard crying in a pile of pine straw.
Police then tracked Comer to an outbuilding near Columbia Avenue in the town of Batesburg, where they found him.
Comer was initially charged with burglary and resisting arrest.
Koon spoke briefly on Comer’s relationship with the child’s mother, Dezarae Sharp, stating there have been ‘recent domestic violence-type charges and outcomes in court.’
‘There were obviously some issues; certainly, children sometimes get caught up in that,’ he added.
Sharp said Comer had been allowed to visit his son on weekends since ‘he’s been going to therapy and stopped drinking,’ according to the Daily Mail.
‘His dad decided though it was time to get jealous over other guys, so he pulled this on this weekend’s trip,’ she said, adding that Comer ‘is a harm to himself as far as I’ve heard, so possibly to others.’
Comer’s next court date has been set for December 10 at the Lexington County Courthouse.
The Daily Mail reached out to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office and the Lexington County Public Defender’s Office for comment.
