Detroit mother allegedly killed son, tied his hands and feet, and buried him in backyard

DETROIT (TCN) — A 41-year-old mother faces charges after authorities found her young son buried in a shallow grave in her yard.

According to the Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, on Jan. 6, officers responded to a home and found the remains of 9-year-old Zemar King after a landlord discovered a grave while working on the property. Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a press conference that the child’s foot was “sticking out of the ground.”

The child’s mother, Brandee Pierce, allegedly tied his hands and feet together, dug a hole in the yard, and “covered him with dirt.”

The medical examiner determined King died of smothering and compression to the neck.

The prosecuting attorney’s office alleges that on Oct. 24, 2024, Pierce fatally assaulted her son and then buried his body in the backyard. Pierce abandoned the rental home on Nov. 6, 2024, and fled to Georgia with her 3-year-old son.

According to the prosecuting attorney’s office, police in Atlanta investigated Pierce on Dec. 20, 2024, for an unrelated incident involving her 3-year-old son and notified the Detroit Police Department. Multiple law enforcement agencies looked into King’s death and arrested Pierce.

On Feb. 5, the prosecuting attorney’s office announced that Pierce faces charges of first-degree murder, felony murder, first-degree child abuse, tampering with evidence, and concealing the death of an individual. She is still in custody in Georgia and is awaiting extradition back to Detroit, Worthy said in a press conference.

The surviving child is reportedly in foster care.

Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison said at the press conference, “This case is rather shocking. In my 27-year career, I don’t remember seeing anything like this.”

Worthy wrote in a press release, “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. The alleged actions of this defendant are among the most callous I have seen and hope never to see again.”

MORE: