Nationwide — Ka’Niyah Baker, a 13-year-old African American woman from Sumter, South Carolina who was reported lacking on January twelfth, was discovered useless after a fireplace at a vacant dwelling in Capital Heights three days later. Police say two teenage ladies, aged 15 and 16, have been charged in connection along with her homicide.
Authorities found Baker’s physique contained in the residence at round 10:30 p.m. on January fifteenth. Columbia Police Chief “Skip” Holbrook revealed that she suffered blunt power trauma, stabbing, and extreme burns, describing her accidents as “heinous,” in line with Individuals.
Baker, initially from Sumter, had not too long ago entered foster care and had a historical past of working away. She was final seen on January thirteenth on Auburnleaf Drive in Hopkins, S.C., and was believed to be in peril.
Her id was confirmed by way of DNA testing after the case was linked to a lacking individuals report from the Richland County Sheriff’s Division.
The 2 suspects, each from Columbia, S.C., have been identified to be frequent runaways. The 16-year-old suspect, who had been reported lacking by her mom on January twelfth, had eliminated her ankle monitor and had a historical past of disorderly conduct. Each teenagers have been beforehand enrolled in highschool however had dropped out.
Authorities confirmed that Baker’s reason behind loss of life was blunt power trauma. Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford stated, “This can be a horrible murder. Ka’Niyah was bludgeoned, stabbed and burned.”
The investigation is ongoing, as authorities work to uncover extra particulars in regards to the case.
