Police say 2-year-old Messiah Harris was likely already dead when authorities received the report that he had disappeared.
MARIETTA, Ga. — A 2-year-old boy reported missing from a Marietta apartment complex was found dead in nearby woods several hours later, and police have charged his mother’s boyfriend with concealing a death and making false statements while investigators work to determine how the child died.
Messiah Harris was reported missing shortly before 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, from the Briggs at Powers Park apartment complex near Franklin Gateway. Police said Dairon Keith, 23, of Kennesaw, called 911 and initially told authorities the toddler had last been seen at about 1:30 p.m. while under a caregiver’s supervision. Messiah’s mother was not at the apartment at the time. Officers and other agencies began an extensive search of the complex and surrounding area, but investigators soon became concerned about inconsistencies in the account they had been given.
At about 7:20 p.m., authorities found Messiah dead in a wooded area behind the apartment complex. Marietta police said preliminary evidence suggested the child’s body had been there for a significant amount of time and that he was likely already dead before the missing-child report was made. Authorities have not announced a cause or manner of death. The medical examiner is working with investigators to determine how Messiah died and establish a more precise timeline.
Police later arrested Keith, who is the boyfriend of Messiah’s mother but is not the child’s father. He is charged with concealing the death of another person and making false statements, both felonies. Investigators accuse Keith of making false statements to Cobb County 911 dispatchers and responding officers and of placing Messiah’s body in the woods before loosely covering it with dirt and vegetation. Police have not accused Keith of causing Messiah’s death, and the charges announced so far do not establish who, if anyone, was responsible for the child’s death.
Marietta Police Department spokesperson Chuck McPhilamy said officers became suspicious because information provided during the initial response did not remain consistent. Police continued treating the case as an urgent missing-child search while detectives worked to determine which parts of the account were accurate. Multiple law enforcement agencies assisted in the hourslong search before the child’s body was located behind the apartment property.
Police have not publicly detailed every statement they allege was false or explained what investigators believe happened before Messiah’s body was placed in the wooded area. They also have not released findings showing exactly when the toddler died. Those questions remain central to the investigation as detectives review the circumstances surrounding the child’s death and await information from the medical examiner.
Keith was booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center and was being held without bond, according to local reports citing authorities. Police said additional charges could be considered as the investigation develops, but officials had not announced further charges as of Saturday night. Authorities have emphasized that the medical examiner’s findings will be important in determining the cause of death and helping investigators establish what happened before Messiah was reported missing.
Residents described a large police presence at the apartment complex as officers searched the property, buildings and wooded areas. Neighbors told local news organizations they had initially believed authorities were racing to locate a missing toddler and were devastated when they learned the search had ended with Messiah’s body being found. Stuffed animals were later placed near the child’s apartment as members of the community reacted to his death.
The case remained an active death investigation Saturday, Aug. 8. Keith faces the two announced felony charges related to the alleged concealment and statements made to authorities, while investigators and the medical examiner continue working to determine Messiah’s cause and manner of death and whether anyone will face additional charges.
Author note: Last updated August 8, 2026.