Crimeupdated 18m ago2 min read
MapMichael Comer Charged With Attempted Murder After Koah Sharp Found Alive Buried in Dog Crate
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11-month-old Koah Sharp buried alive for about 24 hours in a dog crate. Father Michael Comer charged with attempted murder and related offenses.
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Buried alive, then charged
Authorities in Lexington County, South Carolina charged Michael Comer, 25, with attempted murder after rescuers found his 11-month-old son, Koah Sharp, alive following about 24 hours buried in a dog crate. Sheriff Jay Koon said rescuers found freshly disturbed soil and heard cries from below ground, and he said the boy was released from a hospital Tuesday night and is expected to make a full recovery. John Comer told The Associated Press that he became ecstatic when Koah was freed and that Koah stopped crying soon after, while the sheriff said Koah was clinging to life when he was unearthed.
Investigators said Koah had been in the care of Michael Comer’s mother while she ran an errand, and the sheriff said, "By the time the caregiver got there, Michael was gone, and Koah was gone with him." Authorities said Michael Comer was arrested while hiding in a building in Batesburg-Leesville, and a court hearing was planned for Thursday.
Search, survival details
Sheriff Jay Koon said a search party of nearly 100 officers and public safety officials found a patch of freshly disturbed earth in pine straw about 50 yards into the woods near Comer’s father’s home. Koon said investigators probed the dirt and heard the baby crying, and he said Koah was found inside a roughly 2-foot-by-2-foot wire dog crate wrapped in a towel. Koon told reporters that the towel likely created an air pocket that helped Koah survive, and he said Koah was "clinging to life" when EMS took him to the hospital.
The Associated Press quoted John Comer recalling that Koah was put on the back of a truck and sat up, while the sheriff said Koah was released from a hospital Tuesday night. Authorities said surveillance video from several businesses showed Comer without the baby on Monday afternoon, and the sheriff said Comer was later arrested while hiding in a building in Batesburg-Leesville.
Charges and next steps
Authorities said Michael Comer faces attempted murder and other charges after investigators found Koah buried in a dog crate wrapped in a towel, and the sheriff said Comer was in custody since Monday when Koah disappeared. The Associated Press reported that authorities haven’t revealed anything about Comer’s motive, while the sheriff said Koah’s parents "have had some situations" and that children "sometimes get caught in the middle." CNN reported that the sheriff said Comer was the last person to be with Koah and that authorities say he is facing criminal charges including attempted murder, unlawful conduct toward a child, custodial interference and burglary.
The Associated Press said Comer was sentenced to probation in October after pleading guilty to domestic violence, and it said prosecutors dropped a gun charge as part of the plea deal. The sheriff said a bond hearing was planned for Thursday and that it was not immediately known if Comer had a lawyer who could respond to the charges.