2 Teenagers Arrested After ‘Monstrous’ Demise of 13-Yr-Outdated Woman ‘Bludgeoned, Stabbed and Burned’: Police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 identified location.

The vacant house 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 dying 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 dying was listed as blunt drive 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 accordance with Rutherford, because of the state of Baker’s physique, it took DNA proof to lastly establish her and show she was the lacking youngster being sought by the Richland County Sheriff’s Division, after she was reported final seen within the Hopkins space January 13.

“We count on 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 keeping 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 identified 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 harm, throwing bodily fluids,” Holbrook mentioned within the press convention. “she was needed by the Division of Juvenile Justice [in Georgia] for chopping 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 present 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 present 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 court docket 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 technique of interview the suspects. “If you speak to folks which were concerned in committing heinous crimes like this, you’re seeking to search solutions and skim their reactions,” he defined. “However typically, it’s when there aren’t any reactions is what’s most troubling.”

He additionally spoke extra typically 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 vary that.”