Two teenagers in Columbia, South Carolina, have been arrested in connection with the murder of 13-year-old Ka’Niyah Baker, who was found dead in a vacant home on Jan. 15. According to law enforcement, the murder of Baker has been described as “heinous, vicious and monstrous.”
According to News 19, Coroner Naida Rutherford provided the exact cause of death for Baker at a Jan 18 press conference and made it clear that her death was, in no uncertain terms, a homicide.
“The manner of death is not an accident, and this is not a suicide,” Rutherford said. “This is a horrible homicide.”
Rutherford continued, noting that photo identification was of no avail when it was time to identify Baker’s body. It took DNA evidence for that to occur.
“Ka’Niyah was bludgeoned, stabbed, and burned,” Rutherford said before adding that the official cause of death for Baker was blunt force trauma.
According to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, they alerted the public that the 13-year-old was possibly in danger after she went missing on Jan. 13; Baker was not originally from Columbia and was in the care of a foster parent.
Her body was discovered after Columbia-Richland Fire crews discovered a body at the scene of a fire they responded to; police eventually ruled the death as suspicious and later confirmed that the death of Baker was going to be investigated as a murder.
According to Richland County Police Chief Skip Holbrook, two juveniles were arrested, a 15-year-old girl and a 16-year-old girl, who both had a history with the police department.
Holbrook also had pointed advice for parents, as the area has had an issue with violent crime perpetrated by minors. Both unnamed minors are expected to be charged as adults.
“I think you gotta be nosy and be involved in your children’s lives and know where they are, who they’re with, and what they’re doing,” Holbrook said.
On Jan 18, Columbia City Manager Teresa Wilson issued a statement in response to the death of Baker.
“Ka’Niyah’s death has shaken me at my core. In our
beautiful city with so much growth and prosperity, we must continue to ensure that all of our children are protected and surrounded with the resources they deserve and a sense of hope, no matter their circumstances,” Wilson said.District 2 City Councilman Edward McDowell Jr also provided his own statement regarding the murder of Baker, saying the city needed to come together in this tragic moment.
“This is a tragedy that should have never occurred in District 2 or anywhere in our community,” McDowell said. “The pain we feel as a city is profound, but it’s in these moments that we must reflect on our collective responsibility. As a community, we must remain accountable, vigilant,
and aware of our surroundings. Every one of us has a role in protecting our youth and shaping a future where such tragedies do not happen. We must be active agents of change and oversight for our young people, and we must come together to support their well-being.”RELATED CONTENT: Detroit Police Rally Community In Search For Missing Teen