A tiny body found in a duffel back in a pile of trash in Philadelphia has been identified as a 4-year-old boy who disappeared last year — with cops saying he was beaten to death while his mom watched.
Damari Carter’s decomposed remains were found by a worker who was clearing a trash-strewn alley in West Philadelphia on March 18, but the identity of the dead boy remained a mystery until this week, according to a report by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Damari’s mother, Dominique Bailey, and her boyfriend, Kevin Spencer, are now charged with murder, abuse of a corpse and other crimes in the youngster’s death — shocking the family, the outlet said.
“I’m just glad that his remains were found,” the boy’s aunt, Nakia Bailey, told reporters. “Because that was sitting not so well with any of the family, us not knowing where he was.
“We’re still trying to wrap our heads around this situation happening at all,” she said.
Philly cops said Damari’s mom allegedly confessed that she watched Spencer beat her son so badly on Dec. 7 that he lost consciousness with his eyes blackened and his forehead swollen, the Inquirer said.
She allegedly said the beatings had happened before.
On the day he was killed, Dominique Bailey said she and Spencer left the apartment to buy Black & Mild Cigars, leaving the youngster unconscious — and returned to find him unresponsive.
She said Spencer put him in a living room chair, but when she went to kiss her son good night a few hours later she realized that he was cold to the touch.
Spencer then allegedly dumped the body in a heap of trash.
Police searched for Damari’s body in January but never found him — until the worker made the grisly discovery and notified the cops.
Nakia Bailey told the outlet she’s still struggling with how to cope with her sister’s allegedly crime.
“Innocence lost for what?” she said. “I’l never get to see him grow up. It’s devastating.”