Crime
Cause of Death for 6-Month-Old Nnakai Pratt as Blunt Force Trauma After Discovered Inside Trash Bag
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — The Clayton County Police Department has confirmed that 6-month-old Nnakai Pratt died from blunt force trauma, and the infant’s body was found discarded inside a trash bag during a three-day search that ended in tragedy.
According to authorities, the child’s remains were discovered on Tuesday, October 14, in the backyard of a home off Green Valley Road.
The discovery came after an intense search that began when police were initially called to investigate a reported robbery and kidnapping on Sunday, October 12, at 100 Valley Hill Road in Riverdale.
When officers arrived, they met Antonio Pearce, the child’s father, who claimed that he had been robbed at gunpoint and that his infant son had been taken by the alleged assailants.
Pearce told investigators the incident occurred at what he described as a “stash house,” where he said he had three pounds of marijuana and over $6,000 in cash.
He also stated that Nnakai, his twin sister, and their mother, Necollete Pratt, were present at the time of the alleged abduction.
As the investigation progressed, detectives noted inconsistencies in Pearce’s account.
Police later confirmed that Pearce had fabricated key parts of his story. Following extensive interviews and searches, investigators discovered the infant’s body, confirming their worst fears.
During a press conference on Friday, October 17, police revealed that the infant had sustained fatal blunt force injuries before being placed in a trash bag and abandoned. Both parents were subsequently arrested and charged in connection with the child’s death.
Necollete Pratt was charged with obstructing an officer, making false statements, cruelty to children in the first degree, concealing a death, and party to the commission of a crime.
In court on Friday, the judge denied bond on the felony charges but granted $5,000 bond for the misdemeanor obstruction charge. Pratt is scheduled to return to court for a preliminary hearing on November 12 at 8:30 a.m.
Antonio Pearce, the father, faces an extensive list of charges, including malice murder, cruelty to children, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, tampering with evidence, concealing the death of another person, unlawful disposal of a human body, false statements, and false report of a crime.
Police said Pearce’s repeated lies and inconsistent statements during questioning led investigators to uncover the truth and ultimately locate the child’s body. In court, he was denied bond on the most serious felony charges, including murder and aggravated assault, but was granted a $10,000 bond for the misdemeanor count of filing a false report. Pearce is expected to appear in court for his preliminary hearing on November 10 at 8:30 a.m.
Authorities continue to investigate the full circumstances surrounding the death of baby Nnakai, calling it one of the most heartbreaking and disturbing cases the department has handled in recent years.
Crime
Attorneys Argue Jacob Bard Actions in Deadly Kentucky State University Shooting Were Legally Justified
Attorneys representing Jacob Bard, the man accused in a deadly shooting at Kentucky State University, contend that his actions were legally justified and undertaken in defense of his family amid what they describe as a violent and uncontrolled situation on campus.
In a press release issued Monday afternoon, Bard’s legal team from the Indiana-based law firm Danks & Danks asserted that Bard “was completely justified under the law in his use of deadly force.”
Bard is accused of fatally shooting one Kentucky State University student and wounding another during an incident at a campus dormitory.
According to the attorneys’ statement, Bard traveled to Kentucky State University after his younger son reported being attacked on multiple occasions.
The release alleges that on Monday, December 8, a group of approximately 20 to 30 individuals gathered outside the son’s dormitory, some allegedly armed, and began beating on the door. Campus police were reportedly called to respond to the disturbance.
The following morning, Bard and his wife met with Kentucky State University police. While the attorneys stated that officers appeared sincere in their efforts, they claimed it was evident to the family that campus police were “ill-prepared to deal with the out-of-control and violent environment.”
The legal team further alleges that both the university and its police department failed to adequately address what they described as multiple armed and violent felonies against Bard’s sons, ages 18 and 19, as well as other students in the days preceding the shooting.
Those alleged incidents included burglaries and armed assaults.
Later that morning, the family attended a meeting at Young Hall with campus police and a university dean.
According to the release, the meeting left the family convinced that the university would not be able to maintain a safe environment, prompting them to begin removing the son’s belongings from the dormitory.
When the family returned to the residence hall, the attorneys claim that individuals previously involved in the alleged assaults were present, despite assurances they would not be allowed inside.
The statement further alleges that those individuals photographed the family and made verbal threats.
The attorneys contend that, even with two armed Kentucky State University police officers present, a group of 20 to 30 individuals gathered in the dormitory lobby and “violently and viciously attacked” Bard’s son and family members.
According to the release, Bard’s son was slammed into the concrete floor and beaten by multiple people, and the officer on scene allegedly lost control of the situation.
“In the chaos,” the attorneys wrote, Bard attempted to pull attackers off his son but was struck himself. Believing his son to be in imminent danger of death or serious physical injury, Bard then drew his firearm and shot two individuals whom the attorneys say were actively assaulting his son.
The legal team also stated that no charges have been filed against others allegedly involved in the confrontation and claimed the Bard family has continued to receive death threats.
The release further alleges that the mother of the deceased student has publicly called for retaliation against Bard’s son and sought assistance from criminal groups—claims that have not been independently verified by authorities.
The case against Bard was presented to a grand jury on December 16.
During a previous court hearing, a detective testified that at least one video reviewed by investigators did not show the shooting victims assaulting Bard’s son.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not issued a final determination regarding the circumstances surrounding the shooting.