How Could You? Hall of Shame-Ka’Niyah Baker case-Child Death
This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.
This 2025 case has come to light.
From Columbia, South Carolina, foster child Ka’Niyah Baker, 13, was found murdered by two teenage girls on January 15, 2025.
Ka’Niyah had run away from her foster parents home.
“The manner of death is not an accident, and this is not a suicide,” Rutherford said during the press conference. “This is a horrible homicide.”
Rutherford said that even when they were provided pictures of the victim while trying to identify Baker, those pictures “didn’t seem to match up.” She said it took DNA evidence to prove the deceased was the missing child.
“Ka’Niyah was bludgeoned, stabbed, and burned,” Rutherford said, adding that her cause of death was blunt force trauma.
According to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Ka’Niyah Baker was last seen in the Hopkins area on Jan. 13. The department later alerted the public that they believed she was in danger. Police said she was originally from Sumter and was in foster care in the Columbia area.
On Wednesday, Columbia Police were called to a vacant home on Cardamon Court, where Columbia-Richland Fire crews found Baker while responding to fire reports. Police ruled the death suspicious and later confirmed that Baker’s death was being investigated as a murder.
Holbrook said police arrested a 16-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl in connection with the case overnight Friday into Saturday. He said the 16-year-old was reported missing by her mom on Jan. 12 and has a history of disorderly conduct, malicious injury and other crimes. At the time, she was wanted by the Department of Juvenile Justice after allegedly cutting off her ankle monitor. Police said the 15-year-old was a frequent runaway who dropped out of high school.
While neither was identified by name at the press conference, 5th Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson said his office intends to petition the family court to charge both as adults.
As the investigation continues, Chief Holbrook has a message for parents amid ongoing violent crime around the region involving minor.”
[11Alive 1/24/25 by Christopher Buchanan]
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