Nationwide — Ka’Niyah Baker, a 13-year-old African American girl from Sumter, South Carolina who was reported missing on January 12th, was found dead after a fire at a vacant home in Capital Heights three days later. Police say two teenage girls, aged 15 and 16, have been charged in connection with her murder.Authorities discovered Baker’s body inside the residence at around 10:30 p.m. on January 15th. Columbia Police Chief “Skip” Holbrook revealed that she suffered blunt force trauma, stabbing, and severe burns, describing her injuries as “heinous,” according to People.
Baker, originally from Sumter, had recently entered foster care and had a history of running away. She was last seen on January 13th on Auburnleaf Drive in Hopkins, S.C., and was believed to be in danger.
Her identity was confirmed through DNA testing after the case was linked to a missing persons report from the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
The two suspects, both from Columbia, S.C., were known to be frequent runaways. The 16-year-old suspect, who had been reported missing by her mother on January 12th, had removed her ankle monitor and had a history of disorderly conduct. Both teens were previously enrolled in high school but had dropped out.
Authorities confirmed that Baker’s cause of death was blunt force trauma. Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford said, “This is a horrible homicide. Ka’Niyah was bludgeoned, stabbed and burned.”
The investigation is ongoing, as authorities work to uncover more details about the case.