The decomposed body of a 4-year-old boy found in a duffel bag in Philadelphia earlier this year has been identified as Damari Carter, who authorities say was beaten to death. The child was last seen alive in early December but was not reported missing until December 30. His remains were found less than half a mile from where he lived with his mother, Dominique Bailey, and her boyfriend, Kevin Spencer. Both Bailey and Spencer are charged with murder, abuse of a corpse, child endangerment, and related counts in his death. Authorities began investigating after finding discrepancies in Bailey’s account of her son’s death, initially claiming he died at a hospital after being hit by a car.
Carter was eventually identified through DNA testing after the body was found on March 18 in Philadelphia’s Mantua neighborhood by a worker cleaning out an alleyway. Bailey later confessed to police that she had watched Spencer beat Carter at their home on December 7 until he lost consciousness. When they discovered the boy was dead, they disposed of the body, but did not disclose where they put the corpse. A preliminary hearing for Bailey and Spencer is scheduled for June 18, and the couple’s attorneys have not yet commented on the case.
The Mantua neighborhood where Carter’s body was found is in western Philadelphia, near the Schuylkill River and home to the Philadelphia Zoo. It is also near the campus of Drexel University. Authorities have charged Bailey and Spencer with murder, abuse of a corpse, child endangerment, and related counts in the death of Damari Carter. The case began with discrepancies in Bailey’s account of her son’s death, with her initially claiming he died at a hospital after being hit by a car. Carter was last seen alive in early December but was not reported missing until December 30.
The case of Damari Carter’s death has shocked the community of Philadelphia, with the young boy being beaten to death and his body found in a duffel bag in the Mantua neighborhood. The child’s mother, Dominique Bailey, and her boyfriend, Kevin Spencer, are facing charges of murder, abuse of a corpse, child endangerment, and related counts in his death. Bailey initially told relatives that her son died at a hospital after being hit by a car, but later confessed to police that she had watched Spencer beat Carter until he lost consciousness on December 7, leading to his death.
Authorities in Philadelphia have identified the decomposed body found in a duffel bag earlier this year as 4-year-old Damari Carter, who was beaten to death. His remains were found in the Mantua neighborhood, less than half a mile from where he lived with his mother, Dominique Bailey, and her boyfriend, Kevin Spencer. Bailey and Spencer are charged with murder, abuse of a corpse, child endangerment, and related counts in Carter’s death. A preliminary hearing for the couple is scheduled for June 18. The discovery of Carter’s body through DNA testing has brought closure to this tragic case that shocked the community.