Father of baby found buried alive in Lexington County facing new charges

LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) - The father of a baby found in Lexington County is now charged with burying his child alive.

The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said 25-year-old Michael Comer is charged with attempted murder, unlawful conduct toward a child, custodial interference and burglary.

Comer is scheduled to appear for a bond hearing Thursday morning.

Comer was arrested Monday night, hours after he had been last seen with his 11-month-old son, Koah Sharp. Authorities said Comer’s mother left her son with Koah while she ran an errand, and also as another caregiver was on the way.

When the second caregiver arrived, they couldn’t find Comer or baby Koah.

LCSD said deputies were then called to Comer’s father’s house on Parthenon Road in Batesburg-Leesville. Both doors of the home were open, but the house was empty aside from some baby items that were found.

Security footage from later Monday also showed Comer in Batesburg-Leesville, but Koah was not with him. Comer was also reportedly at multiple locations across Lexington County on Monday, but authorities noted that he does not have access to a vehicle.

Comer was eventually arrested Monday night after hiding in an outbuilding in Batesburg-Leesville, which investigators said is what led to his initial burglary charge.

Meanwhile, over 100 law enforcement officers from various agencies began searching for Koah. On Tuesday afternoon, officials said a search party found freshly disturbed dirt not far from Comer’s father’s home and then began hearing Koah crying.

Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said Koah was found buried in a dog crate wrapped in a towel.

“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.

In a statement released Wednesday, LCSD directly accused Comer of burying Koah alive.

Koah is out of the hospital as of Wednesday evening and is back with family members. He is expected to make a full recovery.

Comer’s previous arrests

Comer’s arrest comes just over a month after he was placed on probation following a guilty plea for aggravated breach of peace, according to public court and state records.

Court records also show Comer had previous arrests earlier this year for domestic violence, as well as a weapons-related charge.

How to help the family

Members of Koah’s family have also since established a GoFundMe for those who want to help with medical bills and legal expenses.

Click/tap here for more information.

This is a developing story. Stay with WIS for updates.

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