A 25-year-old Southern California man accused of kidnapping his infant son and burying him alive has been ordered to remain in jail without bond.
Michael Comer allegedly placed his 11-month-old son, Koah Sharp, inside a dog crate and buried him near his grandfather’s home in Batesburg-Leesville on November 9.
The following day, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office released a public appeal asking anyone with information about the missing child to contact authorities.
The sheriff’s office said: “Koah was taken by his father, Michael Comer.” It added that Comer had been arrested on a burglary charge late Monday night by Lexington County deputies, but that the baby was not with him.
According to AP NEWS, Comer faces charges of attempted murder and unlawfully placing a child at risk.
He is being held without bond and will remain incarcerated until his next court appearance.
Two victims’ advocates asked the judge to deny bond on Koah’s behalf, WLTX reported. They argued that Comer displayed “no remorse” after learning that his son had been found alive.
Comer was discovered Monday evening inside a Batesburg outbuilding and arrested on burglary and resisting-arrest charges. Authorities said he had “not much to say about the whereabouts of the baby.”
Koah had been staying with his grandmother, Trish Comer, Michael Comer’s mother. Sheriff Koon said arrangements like this “happen quite often.”
Koon briefly addressed Comer’s relationship with Koah’s mother, Dezarae Sharp, saying the pair had been involved in “recent domestic violence-type charges and outcomes in court.”
During a Tuesday press briefing, Sheriff Jay Koon said Koah’s cries sounded joyful when rescuers found him, despite the baby being “clinging for life.”
Koon said the child had been placed inside a dog crate that was wrapped in a towel before being buried.
The sheriff said Koah had initially been in the care of Comer’s mother, Patricia Comer. She reportedly left the baby with Michael while she ran an errand and waited for another caregiver to arrive.
When that caregiver reached the home, neither Michael nor Koah was there.
In a Facebook post, Patricia wrote: “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.”
“I’m not trying to play the woe-is-me card, but this whole situation has been heartbreaking,” she added.
Koon said investigators learned the baby was missing and followed leads to the home of Comer’s father, located about a block away.
He said deputies found both doors open, Koah’s belongings inside and no sign of either Michael or the baby.
About 100 emergency responders joined the search. Investigators believe Koah may have spent roughly 24 terrifying hours buried beneath the dirt before rescuers located him.
Patricia Comer said she knew her “son’s a problem,” but never realized “he was this bad.” She added: “He loved that baby, he’d do anything for that baby.”
“As the day went on and nobody came forward, it was certainly more and more concerning,” Koon said.
A search team was formed near Comer’s father’s house. Roughly 50 yards into the surrounding woods, rescuers heard Koah crying beneath a pile of pine straw.
Authorities later tracked Comer to an outbuilding near Columbia Avenue in Batesburg, where he was taken into custody.
He was initially booked on charges of burglary and resisting arrest.
Koon also discussed Comer’s history with Koah’s mother, Dezarae Sharp, noting that the pair had faced “recent domestic violence-type charges and outcomes in court.”
“There were obviously some issues; certainly, children sometimes get caught up in that,” the sheriff said.
Sharp told Our News Outlet that Comer had been permitted to see Koah on weekends because he had been attending therapy and had stopped drinking.
“His dad decided, though, it was time to get jealous over other guys, so he pulled this on this weekend’s trip,” she said. Sharp added that Comer “is a harm to himself as far as I’ve heard, so possibly to others.”
Comer is scheduled to return to court on December 10 at the Lexington County Courthouse.
Our News Outlet contacted the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office and the Lexington County Public Defender’s Office for comment.
