Left inset: Nnakai Pratt (Georgia Bureau of Investigation). Right inset: Antonio Pearce (Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office). Background: A wooded area near the 100 block of Valley Hill Road in Clayton County, Ga., where Antonio Pearce’s son Nnakai Pratt was found dead after Pearce allegedly claimed he was abducted (WAGA).
A 6-month-old baby in Georgia who went missing this week, with his dad claiming he was kidnapped during an armed robbery, was found dead on Tuesday night “in the immediate vicinity” of his father’s apartment complex after police reported that the abduction story was “highly questionable,” according to local officials.
“He was in the immediate vicinity of where they were searching,” Clayton County Medical Examiner Brian Byars told Law&Crime on Wednesday morning. “We’re going to be doing an autopsy, hopefully this week, to determine a cause of death.”
The child’s father, Antonio Pearce, of Riverdale, allegedly called police on Sunday around 8:18 a.m. and claimed his son Nnakai Pratt had been taken during an armed robbery. He said the boy was in a car seat carrier that was swiped by multiple suspects, who then fled “in an unknown direction,” according to a Clayton County Police Department press release.
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“As the investigation into the missing child advanced, detectives became suspicious due to inconsistent testimony along with physical evidence that points to the existence of foul play,” alleged CCPD officials on Monday.
Pearce’s story allegedly unraveled while he was being questioned by investigators. He was taken into custody for unrelated charges, including marijuana distribution and a child restraint violation, and was still behind bars Wednesday without bond.
“At this moment, the facts surrounding the disappearance of baby Nnakai Pratt are highly questionable, and CCPD Detectives have deemed Nnakai Pratt’s father to be a suspect in his sudden disappearance,” the CCPD release says.
Searches were conducted at Pearce’s apartment complex and in nearby wooded areas, with Byars telling Law&Crime that a cop found Nnakai.
“One of the county police officers was canvassing the area with other investigators and they discovered the baby,” Byars said.
Multiple search warrants were served at locations that CCPD detectives believed were “relevant to this case,” including Pearce’s apartment and areas nearby. Media reports came out after Nnakai was found claiming his body was located in a dumpster, but Byars told Law&Crime that was untrue.
“He was in the vicinity of where they were searching but not in a dumpster,” Byars said.
Nnakai reportedly has a twin sibling who is safe and with their mother. A car near Pearce’s home was taken away by police and being probed by investigators.
“This is a nightmare,” neighbor Meshia Sikes told local CW affiliate WANF. “Makes you want to hold your kids tighter at night.”
