Father’s story of baby’s kidnapping unravels after infant’s body found in trash bag, police say

JONESBORO, Ga. (AP) — Police in suburban Atlanta say they found the body of a six-month-old boy wrapped in a trash bag, dead from blunt force trauma to the head, after his father initially claimed the baby was kidnapped during an armed robbery.

Both the father and the mother were denied bail Friday and remained in jail after they were charged in the death of Nnakai Pratt.

Antonio Pearce told Clayton County police on Sunday that Nnakai was snatched while sitting in his car seat by two armed men who also stole $6,500 in cash and 3 pounds (1.36 kilograms) of marijuana.

The kidnapping was alleged to have happened in an apartment that Pearce said he was using as a stash house in Riverdale, about 11 miles (18 kilometers) south of Atlanta. But late Tuesday, police found Nnakai’s body in the backyard of a house, just on the other side of a fence from the apartment complex.

Clayton County Detective Chieyenne Reynolds told reporters Friday that officers never believed Pearce’s story.

“He was caught in a lot of lies throughout his interview process,” Reynolds said, saying witness statements and evidence from Pearce’s phone led police to the child’s body. Police also say Pearce asked another man to hide a backpack with guns and drugs.

Police haven’t said when or where Nnakai died or why Pearce might have killed him.

Police arrested Pearce on Sunday, charging him with marijuana possession and traffic offenses. They later added a false statements charge. Wednesday, they charged Pearce with Nnakai’s murder, concealing a death, tampering with evidence, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, cruelty to a child and falsely reporting a crime. They added a family violence charge on Thursday.

Police have also arrested Nnakai’s mother, Necolette Pratt, charging her with child cruelty, concealing a death, obstruction of an officer, false statements and being a party to a crime. A warrant for her arrest says she told investigators that Pearce had previously shaken the baby, local news outlets report. The warrant states investigators also found Pratt’s story inconsistent.

No lawyers are listed for Pearce or Pratt in court records.

The infant was a twin, and his surviving sister has been placed in the custody of child welfare authorities.

More details could come out next month during preliminary hearings for the parents.