Lexington Baby: 911 Call Captures Panic as Father Faces Attempted Murder
An 11-month-old survived 24 hours buried in a dog crate, while his 25-year-old father was held without bond after a court appearance.
By Samuel Hayes ·
Family members in Lexington County, South Carolina, spent a tense day trying to locate a missing father and child before authorities discovered an 11-month-old boy alive after he was buried underground. Michael Comer, 25, was charged with attempted murder this week for the incident involving his son, Koah.
A 911 call recorded by the department provides a direct account of the family's urgency. Koah's grandmother told a dispatcher that her son, Comer, had been designated to watch the boy for the day. She noted that the mother held legal custody and that she had planned to take the child home that evening.
The grandmother explained that Comer had recently been released from jail and was serving probation. She reported that he had made statements about traveling to New York, a move that conflicted with his probation terms. She stated that the family had been unable to contact him for an entire day, prompting her to leave work to assist in the search.
Koah was located on Tuesday afternoon, roughly 24 hours after he was last seen with his father. Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon confirmed that investigators found the boy buried in a dog crate at the house of Comer's father. The child was wrapped in a towel. Officials noted the presence of pine straw and freshly disturbed dirt at the site. Upon beginning to dig, they heard the infant crying.
Sheriff Koon described the excavation as a race against time. He stated that the air likely allowed the child to survive the estimated 24 hours underground. The discovery occurred just over a day after the family reported the child missing.
Comer appeared in Lexington County court on Thursday. A judge denied a bond on the most serious counts. Prosecutors told the court that Comer displayed no remorse after learning the baby was alive. They also noted that he did not assist investigators during the search. News cameras were present in the courtroom, but a door blocked Comer from view for the audience.
The next court appearance for Comer is set for Dec. 10. The family's 911 call documented the initial confusion and fear as relatives worked to establish contact with the father who had vanished with the child.
