The child’s father was already in custody when searchers found the 11-month-old buried in woods in Lexington County.
LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. — South Carolina investigators are working with prosecutors to determine whether additional charges should be filed against the father of an 11-month-old boy who was found alive Tuesday in a dog crate buried in woods after an urgent search, authorities said.
Michael Comer, 25, had been taken into custody Monday night before search crews located his son, Koah Sharpe, according to Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon. Comer was arrested on a burglary charge, and authorities have also reported a resisting-arrest charge. Koon said Tuesday that investigators were consulting with the solicitor’s office as they continued examining how the baby disappeared and came to be buried.
The case began Monday when Koah’s mother left the child in Comer’s care while she ran an errand, Koon said. Another caregiver was expected to arrive afterward, but authorities said Comer and the baby were gone when that person reached the home. Deputies began searching for both and trying to reconstruct Comer’s movements through Lexington County.
Investigators later reviewed video that showed Comer in the Batesburg-Leesville area without Koah, according to the sheriff. Koon said authorities initially hoped the baby had been left safely with someone else. When no one came forward and deputies remained unable to locate Koah, concern increased and the search intensified.
Deputies found Comer Monday night and arrested him, but the baby was not with him. Koon said Comer did not tell investigators where Koah was. Authorities then continued searching places connected to Comer as local, state and federal personnel became involved in the effort to find the child.
Investigators eventually went to the home of Comer’s father, where Koon said they found baby belongings and searched the surrounding property. About 50 yards into nearby woods, members of the search operation found pine straw and an area of freshly disturbed soil. Crime scene personnel were brought in to examine the location.
As investigators began digging, they heard Koah crying beneath the ground, Koon said. Searchers uncovered a small wire dog crate wrapped in a towel and buried in a shallow hole. The sheriff estimated the baby had been underground for about 24 hours.
Koah was removed from the crate and rushed to a hospital. Koon said the towel surrounding the crate may have formed an air pocket that helped the child breathe. He also said cool temperatures may have contributed to the baby’s survival. Authorities had not released a definitive medical explanation for how the infant survived or a detailed account of his condition Wednesday morning.
Investigators had also not publicly established a motive. The circumstances leading to the child’s burial remained part of the ongoing inquiry, and authorities had not announced any additional criminal counts connected directly to Koah’s disappearance or the location where he was found.
The sheriff’s department said the investigation was still in its early stages. Prosecutors and investigators were reviewing the evidence to determine what further charges, if any, are supported. Comer is entitled to the presumption of innocence on the charges against him unless he is convicted in court.
Author note: Last updated Nov. 11, 2026.