Detroit Mother Charged with Murder After 9-Year-Old Son Found Buried in Backyard

DETROIT, Mich. — A Detroit mother has been charged with murder after the remains of her 9-year-old son were discovered buried in the backyard of a rental home, officials announced Wednesday. The boy, identified as Zemar King, was allegedly smothered to death by his mother, Brandee Katrice Pierce, 41, in October 2024.

According to Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, Pierce is accused of binding her son’s hands and feet, digging a shallow grave, and burying him behind the home on Woodingham Drive. Pierce allegedly fled to Georgia with her 3-year-old son shortly after the killing. She is currently in custody in Georgia, awaiting extradition to Michigan.

“It’s alleged that she purchased a shovel, she bound him by tying his hands and feet together, and dug a hole in the backyard of the house,” Worthy said during a press conference. “She then put him in this hole and covered him with dirt.”

The remains were discovered on Jan. 6, 2025, when construction workers renovating the property noticed damage to the garage and found a partially exposed body in the backyard. Police confirmed the remains were human and later identified them as Zemar King. The cause of death was determined to be smothering and neck compression.

Neighbors recalled unusual behavior from Pierce in the weeks following the alleged murder. One neighbor, who asked to remain anonymous, described an encounter with Pierce in early November. “As a woman, I’m looking, I’m like, ‘Are you OK?’ She’s like, ‘Yeah,’ and then she would stand there and walk back, stand there and walk back,” the neighbor said. “Maybe something was wrong with her, I don’t know. Or maybe … she was dealing with the issue of what she did.”

Pierce faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder, felony murder, first-degree child abuse, and concealing the death of an individual. Her 3-year-old son is currently in foster care in Georgia.

Worthy said investigators have been in contact with Zemar’s father, who was unaware of his son’s death until recently. The case has shocked the Detroit community, with officials vowing to seek justice for the young victim.