PHILADELPHIA, PA – A decomposed body discovered in a duffel bag earlier this year in Philadelphia has been identified as a 4-year-old boy, Damari Carter, who was allegedly beaten to death, according to police.
On March 18, a worker cleaning an alleyway in the Mantua neighborhood of Philadelphia found the body. The child’s age, gender, and identity were initially undetermined due to the state of decomposition. However, police confirmed on Wednesday that DNA testing identified the body as Damari Carter.
Damari was last sighted alive in early December, but his disappearance was not reported until December 30. His remains were discovered less than half a mile from his home, where he resided with his mother, Dominique Bailey, and her boyfriend, Kevin Spencer. Both are currently facing charges of murder, abuse of a corpse, child endangerment, and related counts.
Investigators began probing into the case after finding inconsistencies in Bailey’s account of her son’s demise. Initially, she informed relatives that Damari had died in a hospital after being hit by a car. Later, Bailey admitted to witnessing Spencer beating Carter at their residence on December 7 until he lost consciousness. When they realized the boy was dead, they disposed of his body, Bailey confessed to the police. However, the couple did not reveal the location where they dumped the body.
A preliminary hearing for Bailey and Spencer is slated for June 18. Attempts to reach their attorneys for comments have so far been unsuccessful.
Mantua, the neighborhood where the incident occurred, is located in western Philadelphia, close to the Schuylkill River. It is known for housing the Philadelphia Zoo and is near Drexel University’s campus.