Child survival: Father denied bond in burial case
The 11-month-old boy was found alive after 24 hours underground; his father faces attempted murder charges.
By Samuel Hayes ·
An 11-month-old boy in Lexington County, South Carolina, survived approximately 24 hours buried in a dog crate before being rescued on Thursday. The child, identified as Koah, was located under scrubby pines on a neighbor's property. His father, Michael Comer, was denied bond at a hearing held by Judge Gary W. Reinhart.
Lead investigator Tyler Douglas of the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department stated that Comer showed no remorse for attempting to kill his son. Douglas also told the court that Comer attempted to leave the state. The judge appointed a public defender for Comer and scheduled the next hearing for December 10.
Comer, 25, is charged with attempted murder, unlawful conduct toward a child, custodial interference, and burglary. He has been in custody since Monday, the day his son was reported missing. An attorney for Comer had not yet been appointed at the time of the initial reporting.
Koah was released from the hospital on Tuesday night, according to Sheriff Jay Koon. Rescuers found the boy after a full day of searching the countryside. Authorities discovered freshly disturbed soil and heard cries from below. Koon said the boy likely survived due to cool temperatures and an air pocket created by a towel wrapped around the crate.
“By the grace of God, [it] probably provided enough air for him to survive ur estimation of the last 24 hours under that dirt,” Koon said. The sheriff described the boy as “clinging to life” when he was freed.
Comer’s mother told authorities about previous suicidal statements her son had made. She said he had talked about taking Koah to New York, where he claimed to have friends who could help him find work. John Comer, the boy’s grandfather, opened his home to Michael and Koah on Monday after they said they needed a place to stay.
“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 said. He showed reporters the small hole on the neighbor’s property where the child was uncovered. Comer was sentenced to probation in October after pleading guilty to domestic violence involving the boy’s mother.
