2 Teenagers Arrested After ‘Monstrous’ Loss of life of 13-12 months-Previous Lady ‘Bludgeoned, Stabbed and Burned’: Police

Ka’Niyah Baker (pictured) had been reported lacking January 12. Three days later, police discovered her physique 20 miles from her final recognized location.

The vacant residence was on hearth with smoke “coming from contained in the residence” when the hearth division arrived at roughly 10:30 p.m. on January 15. Shortly thereafter, they discovered the physique, per a Columbia Police Division press convention.

“The style of demise was not an accident and this isn’t a suicide,” mentioned Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford to the press. “Ka’Niyah was bludgeoned, stabbed and burned.” Her reason for demise was listed as blunt pressure trauma.

“Brutal, heinous, vicious, ugly, monstrous and disturbing: these are the phrases I would use to explain this homicide investigation,” mentioned Columbia Police Chief Williams “Skip” Holbrook.

In line with Rutherford, because of the state of Baker’s physique, it took DNA proof to lastly determine her and show she was the lacking little one being sought by the Richland County Sheriff’s Division, after she was reported final seen within the Hopkins space January 13.

“We anticipate to pursue justice on this matter,” mentioned Fifth Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson.

Baker and each suspects, a 15-year-old lady and a 16-year-old lady, had a historical past of being “runaways,” in line with Holbrook. He mentioned that every of them had gone lacking inside the previous two months.

Baker had been residing in foster care in Columbia previous to her arrest, per the police chief. Each of the suspects most up-to-date addresses had been additionally recognized to be in Columbia.

The 16-year-old was reported lacking on January 12, as nicely.

“She has a historical past of disorderly conduct, malicious damage, throwing bodily fluids,” Holbrook mentioned within the press convention. “she was wished by the Division of Juvenile Justice [in Georgia] for slicing off her ankle monitor round Jan. 12.”

He went on to notice, “She was final enrolled in an area highschool in January 2024 and she or he’s at the moment listed as dropped out and she or he is a frequent runaway.”

He additionally supplied some particulars on the 15-year-old suspect, saying that she “was enrolled in an area highschool as of final December. She is at the moment listed as dropped out and she or he is also a frequent runaway.”

Neither suspect has been recognized, however Gipson did inform reporters that his workplace intends to petition the household courtroom to cost them each as adults, per CBS affiliate WLTX.

The police chief defined that whereas they don’t have a motive, they’re within the strategy of interview the suspects. “While you discuss to folks which were concerned in committing heinous crimes like this, you’re trying to search solutions and skim their reactions,” he defined. “However typically, it’s when there are not any reactions is what’s most troubling.”

He additionally spoke extra usually about all three teenagers concerned on this tragic case. “This shocks the conscience to me,” he instructed reporters. “We’ve received some work to do with our system. We’ve received some work to do with our younger folks. There’s an excessive amount of despair. And we’ve received to alter that.”