South Carolina man faces murder charges after baby survives 24 hours in dirt

An 11-month-old boy in South Carolina survived 24 hours buried in the ground before being rescued on Tuesday afternoon. The infant, Koah Sharp, was found alive inside a wire crate wrapped in a towel. His father, 25-year-old Michael Comer, was charged with attempted murder and three other counts on Wednesday.

Lexington County Sheriff Brayn “Jay” Koon said the child is expected to make a full recovery. Koon noted that the towel likely created an air pocket for the baby to breathe. He added that the cool weather at the time may have helped the infant survive the ordeal.

Searchers located the crate after noticing disturbed earth near a home owned by Comer’s father. They heard the baby crying and dug him out of the soil. The discovery ended a large-scale search that had begun early Monday afternoon when Koah was reported missing.

Comer was initially arrested on Monday night on a burglary charge after being found in an outbuilding. Police later added charges for unlawful conduct toward a child and custodial interference. Jail records show he remained in custody as of Wednesday. It was not immediately clear if he had retained an attorney.

The custody arrangement played a central role in the timeline. Comer’s mother said the child’s mother holds legal custody. A police report noted that the mother allowed Comer to have the child for a brief visit, expecting it to last only one or two days. The mother told a sheriff’s deputy that Comer had sent messages via Facebook Messenger threatening he would keep Koah.

Multiple agencies joined the search effort, including the FBI, local firefighters, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The coordinated response led to the infant's rescue on Tuesday.

Koah was released from the hospital on Tuesday and is currently in the care of family members. Officials continue to review the details of the timeline between the disappearance and the discovery.