Michael Comer is facing attempted murder charges after his 11-month-old son, Koah Sharp, was allegedly buried alive in a dog crate in Lexington County, South Carolina. The baby was found after being left in the crate for 24 hours.
Warning Signs Before the Incident
Comer's mother, Patricia Comer, reportedly spotted concerning behaviour in her son in the hour before he allegedly ran off with the child. Patricia's sister, Amber Hammond, told the US Sun that Michael had allegedly threatened to run away with Koah to New York.
Amber said: “My sister’s like, please don’t do that. That is not right, and this is not the way to go. If you have concerns, then you do it the right way. But do not take that child from his mom and do not leave the state.”
The Discovery and Rescue
Michael called in sick the next day, said he had calmed down, and told his mother he would spend the day with Koah. Amber continued: “My sister called me and said they didn’t hear no movement in the house. She said there’s something wrong.”
“She’s like, ‘Have you heard from Michael today?’ And it was around 11am, and I said, ‘No, why?’ She said there’s not been no movement or anything since like 8:30am in the house. So she’s like, ‘I want to make sure he got up and he fed the baby.’ And I said, ‘I’m sure he fed his baby.’ And she’s like, ‘Well, he’s not answering me.’ I tried calling him, he wasn’t answering me [either].”
Arrest and Charges
Comer was found by police hiding in a shed, but not with his son Koah. He allegedly refused to tell cops where his son was. Koah was eventually found after a long search.
Sheriff Jay Koon said it was a "race against time" to rescue the child after his cries were heard. Comer was charged with attempted murder, unlawful conduct toward a child, custodial interference and burglary. He was denied bond at a hearing on Thursday.
