A grisly discovery in a Detroit backyard has sent shockwaves through the community after the tiny foot of a child was seen protruding from a shallow grave.
It led police to uncover the remains of a nine-year-old boy allegedly murdered by his own mother.
The woman, 41-year-old Brandee Katrice Pierce, fled the state in what authorities believe was a calculated attempt to escape, but she is now in custody.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy revealed the harrowing details of the case at a press conference on Wednesday.
According to investigators, Pierce allegedly bound her son’s hands and feet before smothering him and burying his lifeless body behind her rental home in northwest Detroit before vanishing to Georgia with her surviving three-year-old son.
The tragedy only came to light on January 6 when a landlord preparing the home for a new tenant stumbled upon the horrific scene and noticed the human remains protruding from the dirt in the backyard.
Police were quickly on the scene with the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s office later ruling the death a homicide, confirming the child, identified as Zemar King III, had died from compression to the neck and smothering.
Authorities believe the murder occurred in late October 2024.
A grisly discovery in a Detroit backyard has sent shockwaves through the local community after the tiny foot of a child was seen protruding from a shallow grave
Brandee Katrice Pierce, 41, fled the state in what authorities believe was a calculated attempt to escape, but she is now in custody. Pierce is now facing charges of murder
Nine-year-old Zemar King III died from a compression to the neck and smothering
Pierce left the home only weeks later finally abandoning the Detroit house on November 6, and traveling to Cobb County, Georgia, where she was living in apparent homelessness with her child.
A breakthrough in the case came in December days before Christmas when police in Brookhaven, Georgia, initiated an unrelated investigation concerning Pierce’s younger son.
During the inquiry, authorities made contact with Detroit police, setting off a chain of events that ultimately led to the mother’s arrest.
Pierce was apprehended in Georgia last month on January 10 and now faces extradition to Michigan.
‘I have stood at this podium many many times and talked about how horrific, tragic and shocking certain cases are, each time thinking there could be future alleged facts that could be worse than what I’m talking about at the time,’ Worthy said.
‘This is one of the most callous and horrifying cases I have ever encountered. Every time I think I have seen the worst, another case like this emerges. Well, that day has come, again.
‘I have been a prosecutor for a long time, and I often say that I have seen it all. The horrors of this child abuse case defy that. The alleged actions of this defendant are among the most callous I have seen and hope never to see again.’
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy revealed the harrowing details of the case at a press conference on Wednesday
Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison echoed Worthy’s sentiments, assuring the public that justice would be served
Pierce, allegedly bound her son’s hands and feet before smothering him and burying his lifeless body behind her rental home in northwest Detroit
Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison echoed Worthy’s sentiments, assuring the public that justice would be served.
‘We are confident there will be accountability for this,’ he said firmly at the press briefing.
Pierce is now facing a slew of charges, including first-degree premeditated murder, first-degree felony murder, first-degree child abuse, tampering with evidence, and concealing the death of an individual.
If convicted of the murder charge, she faces a mandatory life sentence without parole.
While legal proceedings unfold, Pierce’s three-year-old son remains in the care of child protective services.