911 Call Released In Case Of Father Accused Of Burying Baby In Dog Crate

A missing-persons call, then a father who vanished with his son

Monday afternoon, Michael Comer's mother was watching his 11-month-old son, Koah Sharp, at her home while she ran an errand. Another caregiver was on the way to take over, according to the Lexington County Sheriff's Department.

By the time that second caregiver arrived, both Comer and Koah were gone. Family members filed a missing-persons report that afternoon, and Comer's mother told investigators her son had talked the night before about suicide and about taking Koah to New York, where he said he had friends who could help him find work.

Investigators said Koah's mother, Dezerae Sharp, later told them she and Comer had been arguing throughout the previous week — she said he wanted her to delete videos from her OnlyFans account and wanted her to unfriend her other child's father on Facebook. She said Comer threatened to keep Koah, telling her police would have to find him, according to WPDE.

Deputies tracked Comer to the Batesburg-Leesville area Monday night through security footage, but the baby was not with him. Authorities said Comer had no access to a vehicle, so they could not issue an AMBER Alert — there was no license plate or vehicle description to put out.

Deputies arrested Comer Monday night after finding him hiding in an outbuilding off Columbia Avenue in Batesburg. He was booked initially on burglary and resisting arrest, Sheriff Jay Koon said. "He didn't have much to say about the whereabouts of the baby at that time," Koon said, according to ABC7.

Freshly disturbed dirt, and a cry from underground

With Comer in custody but the baby still missing, more than 100 first responders — including FBI agents — joined the search Tuesday, Koon said.

Searchers converged on the home of Comer's father on Parthenon Road in Batesburg-Leesville, where deputies had earlier found both doors open and baby items inside, but no sign of Comer or Koah.

Tuesday afternoon, the search party found pine straw and freshly disturbed dirt about 50 yards into the woods near that home. As they began digging, they heard Koah crying underground.

Koah was inside a roughly 2-foot-by-2-foot wire dog crate, wrapped in a towel and buried in the dirt. Investigators estimate he had been buried for about 24 hours; Koon said the towel likely created an air pocket that helped him survive.

Koah was taken to the hospital "screaming at the top of his lungs," according to NewsNation, and released to family members Tuesday night. The sheriff's department said he is expected to make a full recovery.

"By the grace of God, [it] probably provided enough air for him to survive an estimated 24 hours under that dirt," — Jay Koon, Lexington County Sheriff, to KPTV

Who's involved in the case

Michael Comer, 25, is Koah's father. He is charged with attempted murder, unlawful conduct toward a child, custodial interference and burglary. He has not been convicted of any of these charges.

Koah Sharp — spelled "Koah Sharpe" in some reporting — is the 11-month-old boy found buried in the dog crate. He is now with family members and expected to recover fully.

Dezerae Sharp is Koah's mother. According to WPDE, she told investigators about an ongoing dispute with Comer in the days before Koah went missing.

Jay Koon is the Lexington County Sheriff, who led the search for Koah and has spoken publicly about the case at multiple briefings.

The charges, the bond ruling and Comer's record

The Lexington County Sheriff's Department says Comer faces four charges: attempted murder, unlawful conduct toward a child, custodial interference and burglary. Prosecutors say the attempted murder charge stems directly from the allegation that Comer buried Koah in the crate; the sheriff's office has said additional charges are possible as the case develops with the solicitor's office.

Attempted murder requires prosecutors to show Comer took a substantial step toward killing Koah with the intent to cause his death. Unlawful conduct toward a child and custodial interference are separate counts tied to endangering a child and removing him from lawful custody; the burglary charge traces back to Comer's arrest in the outbuilding where deputies found him Monday night.

A judge denied Comer bond at a hearing Thursday morning in Lexington County, meaning he remains in custody with no path to release while the case proceeds.

Court and public records reviewed by KPTV and WIS show Comer had been placed on probation about a month earlier after pleading guilty to aggravated breach of peace. The same records show he had been arrested, but not necessarily convicted, on a domestic violence charge and a weapons-related charge earlier this year.

What the released 911 call does — and doesn't — show

WPDE reported that the 911 call made when Comer and Koah were first reported missing has been released by authorities. The outlet's reporting confirms the release happened but does not include a transcript or audio excerpt of what was said on that call.

No other coverage reviewed for this story describes the call's content either. So while the call's release is confirmed, what exactly was said on it — and whether it is "chilling" in substance — is not established by the reporting available here. That detail is not yet part of the public record as covered.

In their own words

"By the grace of God, [it] probably provided enough air for him to survive an estimated 24 hours under that dirt," Sheriff Jay Koon said, according to KPTV.

"As they probed it and laid it out and started digging, you could hear little Koah crying," Koon said. "As you can imagine, the race was on, everybody's getting down there trying to get him out," he told ABC7.

"We want to thank everybody and just celebrate the fact today that an 11-month-old baby is alive," Koon said, per ABC7.

Koah's family described the ordeal as "unimaginable trauma" in a statement reported by WIS News 10, as relatives set up a fund to help with medical and legal expenses.

What happens next

Comer remains held without bond in Lexington County after Thursday's hearing. The sheriff's office has said additional charges are possible as the investigation continues with the solicitor's office, but no further court date has been reported in the coverage reviewed.