A South Carolina mother has claimed that her former partner sent her a disturbing message referring to a “dumpster baby” shortly before their 11-month-old son disappeared and was later found buried alive inside a wire crate.
Dezarae Sharp, 25, said she received the message from Michael Comer, also 25, two days before the infant, Koah, went missing.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday morning, Sharp said she had initially skimmed the message and assumed Comer was referring to the baby she is currently expecting.
“I assumed he was talking about the baby I’m pregnant with but here we are,” she wrote.
As the search for Koah continued, Sharp appealed to residents in the greater Lexington area to check dumpsters and other rubbish containers for her missing son. She also said she had checked her own trash can.
Infant Found Alive After Around 24 Hours Underground
Koah was discovered on Tuesday afternoon, reportedly after spending approximately 24 hours buried beneath a shallow layer of dirt in woodland near Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina.
Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said search teams found freshly disturbed soil and pine straw near the home of the child’s paternal grandfather.
As investigators began digging, they heard the infant crying beneath the ground.
Koon said the child was inside a wire crate covered with a towel. He suggested the covering may have created an air pocket that helped Koah survive.
“By the Grace of God, probably provided enough air for him to survive,” the sheriff said, estimating that the infant had been underground for about 24 hours.
Koah was removed from the crate and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Koon said he hoped the child would make a full recovery.
Father Arrested After Infant Disappeared
Comer was arrested late Monday after police found him hiding inside an outbuilding in Lexington County. He was taken into custody on a burglary charge.
No charges had been filed in connection with Koah’s disappearance at the time of reporting.
According to Sheriff Koon, Comer had been looking after the infant after his mother, Trish Comer, left the child in his care on Monday morning.
Trish regularly babysat her grandson, but she needed to run an errand and left Koah with her son until another caregiver was due to arrive.
However, when the next caregiver reached the property, both Comer and the infant were missing.
Police were contacted around midday after Koah was reported missing. Investigators subsequently visited the home of Comer’s father, where they found both doors open and baby-related belongings inside, but neither Comer nor the child was there.
Comer was later located at an outbuilding in Batesburg and arrested. Koah’s whereabouts remained unknown at that stage.
Nearly 100 First Responders Joined Search
Following Comer’s arrest, authorities deployed a search operation involving nearly 100 first responders.
Investigators concentrated their efforts on woodland close to the paternal grandfather’s home. On Tuesday afternoon, search crews noticed an area of freshly disturbed earth and pine straw.
Officers began examining and digging through the ground before hearing Koah crying.
Koon described the moment as an urgent effort to reach the infant, with rescuers rushing to uncover the crate and remove him.
The sheriff said the towel covering the wire crate may have helped preserve enough air for the child to remain alive until rescuers found him.
Mother Says She Allowed Weekend Visits After Father’s Treatment
Sharp has full custody of Koah but said she had permitted Comer to see their son on weekends.
She explained that she allowed the visits because Comer had reportedly been attending therapy and had stopped drinking.
Sharp had also expressed concern about his behaviour, writing on Facebook that she had heard he could be a danger to himself and possibly others.
The mother has not publicly detailed the circumstances surrounding the alleged incident beyond her account of the message and the arrangements for weekend visitation.
Father’s Mother Condemns His Alleged Actions
Trish Comer has publicly condemned her son following the discovery of Koah.
She had been vocal on social media since the infant went missing and said she felt guilty for trusting her son to care for the child.
In a post published after Koah was found, she described the circumstances of his discovery as “pure evil” and said there was no excuse for what her son had allegedly done.
“There is no excuse for what my son did and I hope that he pays for what he did,” she wrote.
She also appealed to social media users who had criticised her family to focus on the fact that the infant had been found alive.
Trish said she had known her son had problems but had not realised the situation was as serious as it appeared.
She said Comer had previously appeared loving and attentive towards Koah, adding that she had not expected him to do something like this.
“I did not know that he would do something like this and I’m sorry that I did not see this beforehand,” she wrote.
Comer Remains in Custody as Investigation Continues
Comer remains in jail following his arrest on the burglary charge. He had not retained an attorney at the time of reporting.
Authorities have not announced any charges against him relating to the infant’s disappearance or the circumstances in which Koah was found.
The Daily Mail said it had contacted Sharp and Trish for comment.
