SC baby found buried alive in dog crate, father arrested

LEXINGTON CO., S.C. – An 11-month-old infant is recovering after being buried alive in Lexington County. Sheriff Jay Koon confirmed Koah Sharpe was found Tuesday afternoon, clinging to life. During a search for the baby, multiple agencies spotted freshly disturbed earth in a wooded area. As investigators began to dig with their bare hands, they heard the infant screaming. Koah was discovered trapped inside a wire dog crate in a roughly three foot deep grave. The crate was wrapped in a towel, which created just enough of an air pocket to save him.

The Sheriff says, “Buried alive. Clinging to life. Crying. The most joyful sound you ever heard of a crying baby, much like when your children were born.”

The infant was rushed to a local hospital and is expected to make a full recovery. The Sheriff says he think Koah had been buried for about 24 hours.

This all started Monday afternoon, when deputies started searching for the child’s father, Michael Comer, who had taken the baby from the child’s grandmother’s house without telling anyone.

Deputies found Comer Monday night, and arrested him on a burglary charge, but the baby was not with him. Investigators say he refused to tell them where the baby was. They referenced issues Comer had with this child’s mother as a possible motive. Additional charges are pending.