A mum has been charged with the murder of her 9-year-old son who was found buried in a shallow grave in their back garden.
Brandee Pierce, 41, will now stay behind bars as the murder and child abuse case against her continues. She appeared in court on Friday facing a number of charges, including murder, first-degree child abuse, tampering with evidence as well as interfering with a person’s death.
The body of her 9-year-old son, Zemar King, was found in the backyard of the Detroit home they lived in after a landlord reported seeing a small human foot sticking out of the ground. A 36th District Court judge ordered Brandee Pierce jailed without bond, the Wayne County prosecutor’s office said.
A probable cause conference has been scheduled for March 7, followed by a March 13 preliminary examination. The attorney’s office representing Pierce declined to comment Friday. A shallow grave holding the remains of Zemar was discovered on January 6 by a landlord who was preparing the house for new tenants. The homeowner allegedly called police after seeing what appeared to be a small human foot sticking out of the ground.
Prosecutor Kym Worthy said the boy was smothered to death on October 24, and that Pierce abandoned their rental home on November 6, leaving for Georgia with her 3-year-old son. Brookhaven police near Atlanta contacted Detroit police in December while investigating Pierce for a matter concerning the 3-year-old. Pierce was arrested January 10 in connection with Zemar’s death and extradited on Thursday from Georgia to Michigan.
“I have been a prosecutor for a long time, and I often say that I have seen it all. The horrors of this child abuse case defy that,” Worthy told reporters at the time charges were filed. “The alleged actions of this defendant are among the most callous I have seen and hope never to see again.”
Magistrate Delphia Burton said in court: “Not only is Ms. Pierce a danger to the community, but she’s also a flight risk. After these egregious allegations (happened), she left the state. It’s pretty clear she’s a flight risk and the facts are just egregious, especially how this child was found, being tied.”
If convicted, Pierce faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
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