A 13-year-old was brutally murdered. 2 teen girls have been arrested in connection to her death.
Officials said the 13-year-old was found with severe trauma to her head, face and body.
Two teenage girls were arrested this week in connection to the death probe of a 13-year-old in South Carolina, authorities say.
The victim, identified as Ka'Niyah Baker, was reported missing on Jan. 12, police said. Her body was found in an abandoned home following a fire in the Capital Heights neighborhood a few days later, police said.
“Brutal, heinous, vicious, gruesome, monstrous and disturbing," Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook said at a press conference on Saturday. "These are the words I use to describe this murder investigation."
Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford said the identifying process was difficult because the victim suffered severe trauma to her head, face, and body. They used DNA from her clothing from her foster home and dental records to confirm her identity.
Rutherford added that Baker was "bludgeoned, stabbed, and burned." The incident is under investigation.
Case highlights tragic impact of trauma on children
One of the suspects − described as a 16-year-old − was reported missing on Jan. 12 and has "a history of disorderly conduct, malicious injury, throwing bodily fluids," Holbrook said.
She was wanted by the Department of Juvenile Justice due to cutting off her ankle monitor. The second teen arrested was a 15-year-old girl. Both suspects have been classified as frequent runaways and high school dropouts.
According to WIS, officials are pushing to charge the teenagers as adults. Speaking to Paste BN, University of South Carolina Criminology and Criminal Justice Professor Hayden Smith said the case indicates there was presence of underlying trauma for all three girls involved. He said rising youth violence is tied to children’s environments and social determinants of health, such as access to stable housing and education.
“Even beyond a traumatic event like this, for the group of people who are exposed to these adverse childhood experiences, they tend to last a lifetime, unless you can counterbalance with resiliency, certain skills, stability, and positive experiences,” Smith said.
Contributing: Rachel Hale, Paste BN
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for Paste BN. You can reach her at tardrey@gannett.com.
This story was updated to add a video.