Koah Sharp: Father Charged With Attempted Murder After Baby Buried Alive

The father of 11-month-old Koah Sharp was charged with attempted murder on Wednesday, a day after the baby was found alive buried in a dog crate in the South Carolina woods. Michael Comer, 25, faces four charges over the disappearance and burial of his son, who survived about 24 hours underground in Batesburg-Leesville before a search party heard him crying.

Key Points

• Michael Comer, 25, the father of 11-month-old Koah Sharp, was charged Wednesday, November 11, 2026, with attempted murder, unlawful conduct toward a child, custodial interference and burglary.
• Arrest warrants allege Comer buried his son alive and kept the baby from his mother, whom court documents identify as the child's lawful custodian.
• Koah was found alive on Tuesday, November 10, buried about a foot underground in a 2-foot-by-2-foot wire dog crate wrapped in a towel, in woods about 50 yards from his grandfather's home.
• Sheriff Jay Koon said the towel created an air pocket and cool temperatures helped the baby survive; Koah left hospital on Tuesday night and is expected to make a full recovery.
• Comer remains in custody, with a bond hearing set for Thursday, November 12, 2026; he pleaded guilty this year to assault and battery and domestic violence.

What Happened

The Lexington County Sheriff's Department announced the charges on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, one day after Koah was rescued. The warrants say Comer buried his son alive in the woods near his grandfather's home and kept the child from his mother, the lawful custodian. Comer had been the last person with the baby after the two vanished on Monday morning, November 9.

Koah was found on Tuesday, November 10, after about 24 hours underground. A search party spotted freshly disturbed dirt in the woods about 50 yards from his grandfather's home in Batesburg-Leesville and heard the baby crying. He was buried about a foot deep in a 2-foot-by-2-foot wire dog crate, wrapped in a towel. Sheriff Jay Koon said the towel created an air pocket and the cool temperatures helped him survive the night.

The baby was taken to hospital and released on Tuesday night, and is expected to make a full recovery. He is staying with family, the sheriff's department said.

Background: The Disappearance and the Rescue

Koah and his father vanished on Monday morning, November 9, after Comer took the baby while the mother was running an errand, according to the sheriff's department. The mother is identified in court documents as the child's lawful custodian. Family members and deputies searched across Batesburg-Leesville, a small Lexington County town.

On Monday night, while Koah was still missing, deputies found Comer hiding in an outbuilding and arrested him on charges of burglary and resisting arrest. The search continued into Tuesday, when the disturbed ground was spotted and rescuers heard crying from beneath the soil.

Sheriff Koon described the rescue in emotional terms. "We found little Koah, 11 months old, buried alive, clinging to life, crying — the most joyful sound you ever heard of a crying baby," he said, adding that the towel had left enough of an air pocket for the child to breathe and that the cool November temperatures had worked in his favour.

Koah Sharp Attempted Murder Charges: What Michael Comer Faces

Comer now faces four charges: attempted murder, unlawful conduct toward a child, custodial interference and burglary. The attempted murder charge, the most serious, reflects the allegation that Comer deliberately buried his son alive and left him underground overnight.

The unlawful conduct charge covers the alleged harm and danger to the infant, while the custodial interference charge relates to keeping Koah from his mother, the lawful custodian. The burglary charge stems from Comer's arrest on Monday night, when deputies found him hiding in an outbuilding.

Comer remains in custody, with a bond hearing scheduled for Thursday, November 12, 2026. Court records show he pleaded guilty earlier in 2026 to assault and battery and domestic violence, and was sentenced to probation in October after a July arrest. Investigators have not said whether Comer has an attorney or what he told them about why he took the baby into the woods.

Reactions and Quotes

Sheriff Jay Koon's account of the rescue has drawn national attention. "We found little Koah, 11 months old, buried alive, clinging to life, crying — the most joyful sound you ever heard of a crying baby," Koon said. He credited the towel wrapped around the crate with creating the air pocket that kept the baby breathing, and said the cool temperatures had helped him survive. The department has not released further details about the investigation or the mother's account.

Why It Matters

The case has shocked South Carolina and drawn national attention because of how close Koah came to dying — and because the danger allegedly came from his own father. A baby buried a foot underground in a closed crate and left overnight would ordinarily be expected to suffocate; that he survived is credited to a towel, cool weather and a search party that heard him in time.

The charges also raise questions about custody and protection. Court documents identify the mother as the child's lawful custodian, and the custodial interference charge alleges Comer took the baby from her care. Comer's guilty plea earlier this year to assault and battery and domestic violence, followed by probation in October, raises questions about what safeguards were in place.

What Happens Next

Comer's bond hearing is Thursday, November 12, 2026, when a judge will decide whether he can be released while the case proceeds. Prosecutors will then present the case, and the attempted murder charge will be tested against evidence from the burial site and the investigation.

Investigators have not said whether they expect further charges or whether anyone else was involved. Koah remains with family and is expected to make a full recovery. The case is likely to draw continued attention as it moves through the Lexington County courts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Michael Comer?
Michael Comer, 25, is the father of 11-month-old Koah Sharp. He was charged on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, with attempted murder, unlawful conduct toward a child, custodial interference and burglary.

How was Koah Sharp found?
A search party spotted freshly disturbed dirt about 50 yards from his grandfather's home in Batesburg-Leesville and heard the baby crying. He was buried about a foot underground in a 2-foot-by-2-foot wire dog crate wrapped in a towel.

How long was the baby underground?
About 24 hours. Koah vanished on Monday morning, November 9, and was found alive on Tuesday, November 10. Sheriff Jay Koon said the towel created an air pocket and cool temperatures helped him survive.

How is Koah doing now?
He was released from hospital on Tuesday night and is expected to make a full recovery. He is staying with family.

When is Comer's bond hearing?
Thursday, November 12, 2026. Comer remains in custody; he pleaded guilty earlier in 2026 to assault and battery and domestic violence and was given probation in October.

Read more: Baby found alive after being buried 24 hours in a dog crate in South Carolina woods and Missing Utah teen Kylie Arellano found safe in Oregon after more than 500 days.