DNA identifies child found in duffle bag as missing Philadelphia 4-year-old Damari Carter, police say

In Philadelphia, DNA evidence has identified a 4-year-old child discovered inside a duffle bag in the Mantua neighborhood as Damari Carter, as confirmed by the police on Wednesday. Damari’s mother, Dominique Bailey, and her boyfriend, Kevin Spencer, are now facing various charges, including murder, as per court documents.

The child’s body was found in March at a property on North 38th Street, with initial difficulties in determining signs of trauma due to severe decomposition. Subsequent DNA analysis revealed the body to be Damari Carter, who had been missing since late December 2023.

Family members reported Damari missing after not seeing him for weeks, with Bailey initially claiming he was struck and killed by a car, though no evidence supported this. Bailey was questioned by police in January, leading to her arrest, along with Spencer, on charges related to Damari’s death.

The couple faces multiple charges, including murder, conspiracy, endangering a child, abuse of a corpse, false reporting, tampering, and criminal use of communication facilities, as detailed in court documents.