Parents Charged After 6-Month-Old Nnakai Pratt Found Dead in Trash Bag

The tragic death of six-month-old Nnakai Pratt has shaken the community of Riverdale, Georgia, as authorities reveal chilling details about the events leading up to the infant’s discovery. What began as a desperate plea from a father claiming his baby had been kidnapped during an armed robbery quickly unraveled into a horrific case of child abuse, deception, and murder. Both parents, Antonio Pearce and Necolette Pratt, now sit behind bars, accused of participating in crimes that led to the death of their child. The investigation, pieced together through evidence, witness statements, and digital forensics, paints a devastating picture of betrayal and cruelty that defies comprehension.

A False Kidnapping Story and the Start of a Disturbing Investigation

When Antonio Pearce first contacted Clayton County police on Sunday, his account of the incident seemed harrowing. He told officers that his six-month-old son, Nnakai Pratt, had been kidnapped by two armed men during a robbery. Pearce claimed the assailants not only took his baby from the car seat but also stole $6,500 in cash and three pounds of marijuana from a Riverdale apartment he described as a stash house. The story immediately raised red flags for investigators, but the initial urgency of a supposed infant abduction mobilized law enforcement into action.

Detectives began searching the surrounding area, coordinating with neighboring jurisdictions and reviewing surveillance footage from the apartment complex and nearby streets. The details Pearce provided, however, quickly began to fall apart. Clayton County Detective Chieyenne Reynolds later stated that Pearce “was caught in a lot of lies throughout his interview process,” adding that his version of events shifted several times under questioning.

As investigators dug deeper, inconsistencies piled up. The supposed robbery lacked corroborating evidence — there were no witnesses to an armed assault, no forced entry, and no signs of struggle. Moreover, Pearce’s story about the money and marijuana suggested that he was engaged in illegal activity, a fact that would later play a key role in understanding the broader context of the case. Detectives grew increasingly skeptical that a kidnapping had ever occurred.

The investigation took a grim turn when police uncovered communications on Pearce’s phone that contradicted his statements. Location data, text messages, and witness accounts pointed to a far darker reality than the one he had described. On Tuesday evening, after two days of intensive searching, officers discovered the lifeless body of Nnakai Pratt wrapped in a trash bag behind a house near the apartment complex. The location was just over a fence — only a short distance from where Pearce claimed the kidnapping had taken place.

From Misdirection to Murder Charges: The Unraveling of a Cover-Up

Following the discovery of Nnakai Pratt’s body, the narrative shifted from a kidnapping investigation to a homicide case. The medical examiner’s preliminary findings indicated that the infant had suffered blunt force trauma to the head, consistent with a violent assault. Investigators quickly reclassified the incident as a suspected murder, focusing their attention squarely on the parents.

Pearce’s lies, already under scrutiny, became impossible to overlook. He had initially been arrested on marijuana possession and traffic offenses. As new evidence emerged, authorities added a false statements charge. Within days, the charges escalated dramatically — murder, concealing a death, tampering with evidence, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, cruelty to a child, falsely reporting a crime, and eventually a family violence charge.

Detective Reynolds stated that witness interviews and digital evidence were instrumental in uncovering the truth. Police allege that Pearce asked another man to hide a backpack containing guns and drugs, suggesting that he was attempting to dispose of incriminating material during the supposed kidnapping. The discovery of the backpack, along with other physical evidence, further undermined his claims of being an innocent victim.

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Meanwhile, investigators turned their attention to the baby’s mother, Necolette Pratt. Her initial statements to police mirrored some of Pearce’s claims but also contained contradictions. A warrant for her arrest revealed that Pratt had previously told investigators that Pearce had shaken the baby on prior occasions, a possible indicator of ongoing abuse. Her story, too, fell apart under questioning, and police concluded that she was complicit in concealing the circumstances surrounding Nnakai Pratt’s death.

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Pratt was charged with child cruelty, concealing a death, obstruction of an officer, false statements, and being a party to a crime. Authorities noted that her cooperation was limited and that she may have participated in hiding the body or attempting to mislead investigators. Both Pearce and Pratt were denied bail during their first court appearances on Friday, reflecting the severity of the charges and the ongoing nature of the investigation.

A Community in Shock and a Twin Left Behind

As details of the case became public, the Riverdale and Clayton County communities reacted with disbelief and outrage. The idea that a parent — or in this case, both parents — could be responsible for the death of their own child left residents deeply unsettled. The death of an infant, particularly under such violent circumstances, evokes a visceral grief that extends far beyond the immediate family.

The fact that Nnakai Pratt was a twin added another heartbreaking dimension to the case. Authorities confirmed that the surviving twin, a baby girl, has been placed in the custody of Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services. Child welfare officials are now conducting their own review to determine whether there were earlier signs of abuse or neglect that could have prevented the tragedy.

Neighbors and acquaintances described the couple’s relationship as volatile, with frequent arguments and erratic behavior. Some residents recalled seeing law enforcement at the couple’s apartment in the past, though it remains unclear whether any formal complaints or reports of domestic violence were filed. Investigators are now examining whether there was a pattern of family violence or substance abuse that contributed to the fatal outcome.

Police have not disclosed when or where Nnakai sustained the fatal injuries, nor have they offered a clear motive. However, the inclusion of charges such as aggravated assault and family violence indicates that detectives believe the baby’s death resulted from direct physical harm rather than an accident. The use of a trash bag to conceal the body suggests an attempt to hide the crime, an action prosecutors may later argue demonstrates consciousness of guilt.

The broader community has responded with grief and calls for justice. Local organizations that advocate for child safety and welfare have emphasized the importance of recognizing early warning signs of abuse. “It’s devastating that a child’s life was lost in such a senseless and violent way,” one child protection advocate said, adding that “it underscores the urgent need for stronger community intervention when families are in crisis.”

Meanwhile, the investigation continues to evolve. Authorities are combing through digital communications, financial transactions, and witness statements to build a timeline of events leading up to Nnakai’s death. Prosecutors are expected to seek an indictment from a grand jury once the forensic and autopsy reports are complete. Both parents remain in the Clayton County Jail, and court records list no attorneys representing them as of Friday. The severity of the charges means they are likely to face life sentences if convicted. Their next court appearances will determine whether the state pursues additional counts, including potential felony murder or conspiracy charges.

The case has also reignited discussions in Georgia about how law enforcement handles missing child reports, especially those that originate from family members. While police must act swiftly when a kidnapping is reported, this incident illustrates how fabricated stories can divert critical resources and obscure the truth in the earliest and most crucial hours of an investigation. As the community mourns the loss of Nnakai Pratt, questions linger about the circumstances that allowed his suffering to go unnoticed. Child welfare experts stress that abuse often occurs behind closed doors and that intervention relies heavily on reports from family, neighbors, or caregivers who suspect something is wrong. For Nnakai, those warnings may have come too late.

Authorities have not yet released information about funeral arrangements or whether any extended family members have come forward to claim the infant’s remains. The investigation remains ongoing, and officials have urged anyone with additional information about the couple or their activities to contact Clayton County police.

The tragedy of Nnakai Pratt’s death serves as a grim reminder of the vulnerability of children caught in cycles of violence and instability. As the legal process unfolds, the surviving twin’s placement with child welfare authorities offers a small measure of hope — that at least one life from this family can be protected and given a chance at a safer future. For now, the haunting details of this case continue to reverberate through the Riverdale community, where a baby’s short life ended not in a kidnapping by strangers, but in a betrayal by those who were supposed to love and protect him the most.