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2-year-old reported missing was found dead near Marietta apartment
The body of two-year-old Messiah Harris was found in a wooded area inside the Briggs at Powers Park apartment complex off Franklin Gateway in Marietta on Friday evening.
MARIETTA, Ga. - A man is now facing charges in connection with the death investigation of a 2-year-old found near a Marietta apartment complex after he was reported missing Friday.
What we know:
Dairon Keith, 23, of Kennesaw, the boyfriend of Messiah Harris' mother, is facing felony charges of concealing the death of another and making false statements.
Marietta police confirmed Keith made the 911 call on Friday that sparked the investigation into a missing toddler who was later found dead. The toddler's mother was not home at the time, and officers initially stated the child was being watched by a caregiver who said Messiah was last seen at 1:30 p.m. at the apartment.
When officers arrived on scene around 2 p.m., they immediately noticed inconsistencies in the caregiver's statements.
"The statements that were made just didn't make sense or weren't consistent, causing investigators to be concerned," Marietta Police Department Public Information Officer Chuck McPhilamy said. "Anytime a child goes missing, people's anxieties run really high. So we had a task to determine what exactly took place, what was fact, and where we would go from there."
Detectives later determined Keith lied to both dispatchers and responding officers before placing the 2-year-old’s body in the woods behind the apartment complex and loosely covering him with dirt and vegetation.
Marietta police coordinated with multiple law enforcement agencies, executing an hours-long search for a missing child before finding Messiah's body.
"Right now, this is just a tragic end to an active search that's been going on for hours here within our city," McPhilamy added. "... This is the worst ending that we possibly could have asked for."
Keith was booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, where he is being held without bond.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not confirmed how Messiah died at this time. The medical examiner must complete an investigation to determine the exact cause and timeline of death.
Authorities have not detailed what specific statements or inconsistencies that Keith gave that raised concern for investigators when the child was first reported missing.
It's unclear if Keith will face additional charges as officers learn more.
The incident is still under investigation.
The Source: The information in this story comes from a press release from the Marietta Police Department and an interview with Officer Chuck McPhilamy.