Missing 6-month-old baby found dead days after dad’s arrest, GA officials say

Update: The father of a 6-month-old baby found dead in Georgia has now been charged with malice murder, jail records show.

Antonio Pearce, who was originally arrested on unrelated charges after he reported his son was kidnapped, also faces charges of first-degree cruelty to children, aggravated battery, concealing a death and tampering with evidence, according to the records.

The baby’s mother, Necolette Pratt, was arrested Oct. 15, WXIA reported.

Pratt is charged with obstructing an officer, making false statements and party to the commission of a crime, jail records show.

Their child, Nnakai Pratt, was found dead in a trash bag Oct. 14 with a head injury, according to WANF.

The original story is below.

A 6-month-old baby was discovered dead two days after his father reported him missing, according to Georgia officials and news reports.

But it’s the baby’s dad —Antonio Pearce — who was considered a suspect in the disappearance of his son, Nnakai Pratt, the Clayton County Police Department said. Pearce was arrested on unrelated charges Oct. 12 in Riverdale.

Pearce told officers he was robbed at gunpoint, saying Nnakai was taken from his car seat, according to police.

Officers noted inconsistencies in Pearce’s testimony, however, and said they became suspicious.

“The facts surrounding the disappearance of baby Nnakai Pratt are highly questionable, and CCPD detectives have deemed Nnakai Pratt’s father to be a suspect in his sudden disappearance,” authorities said.

Nnakai is a twin, and his sibling remained safe with their mother, according to WAGA.

On Oct. 14, two days after Nnakai was reported missing, officers continued their search for the missing baby at a Riverdale apartment complex, WXIA reported.

Nnakai was found dead near the complex, the Clayton County Medical Examiner’s Office told WANF. A cause of death has not been confirmed.

Jail records show Pearce, 38, was charged with drug and driving offenses and making false statements. He has not been charged in his baby’s death.

During Pearce’s Oct. 15 arraignment, a judge said “he’s accused of providing contradictory statements regarding the missing child and that he admitted to concealing and falsifying material,” according to WXIA .

Riverdale is about a 15-mile drive south from downtown Atlanta.

This story was originally published October 15, 2025 at 12:47 PM.