A tragic incident unfolded earlier this year in Philadelphia, where the decomposed body of a 4-year-old boy was discovered in a duffel bag in the Mantua neighborhood. The child, identified as Damari Carter, had been brutally beaten to death, according to authorities.
The grim discovery was made on March 18 by a worker cleaning out an alleyway. Initially, the child's age, gender, and identity were unknown, but through DNA testing, Carter was eventually identified, the police confirmed on Wednesday.
Reports indicate that Damari Carter was last seen alive in early December but was not reported missing until December 30. Shockingly, his remains were found less than half a mile away from where he lived with his mother, Dominique Bailey, and her boyfriend, Kevin Spencer. Both individuals are facing charges of murder, abuse of a corpse, child endangerment, and other related offenses in connection with the boy's death.
Authorities launched an investigation after inconsistencies were found in Bailey's recounting of her son's demise. Initially, she informed relatives that her son had passed away at a hospital after being struck by a vehicle. However, Bailey later confessed that she witnessed Spencer assaulting Carter at their residence on December 7 until he lost consciousness. Subsequently, when they realized the child had died, they disposed of his body, as per Bailey's statement to the police. Regrettably, the couple did not disclose the location where they had disposed of the body.
A preliminary hearing for Bailey and Spencer is set for June 18. The Mantua neighborhood, situated in western Philadelphia near the Schuylkill River, is known for being home to the Philadelphia Zoo and in close proximity to Drexel University's campus.
