The sweet promise of a future was stolen from Nnakai Pratt — a six-month-old baby whose body was discovered dumped in a trash bag after his father’s dramatic claim of a kidnapping fell apart under scrutiny.
It began on Sunday, October 12: police were called to an address in Riverdale, Georgia, responding to reports of a robbery and kidnapping at what Antonio Pearce—Nnakai’s father—called a “stash house.” According to Pearce, he’d been held at gunpoint, forced to hand over thousands of dollars in cash and several pounds of marijuana, while the assailants snatched his infant son, who was sitting in a car seat. He claimed the kidnappers fled into the night with his son, his twin sister, and the mother, Necolette Pratt, nearby.
But detectives weren’t convinced. From the start, investigators picked up on inconsistencies. Pearce’s narrative shifted. Witness statements and data from his phone painted a different picture. As the man’s story unraveled, the investigation shifted from “missing child” to possible homicide. Reinforcing that shift: the mother’s version of events also contradicted Pearce’s account in key ways.
On Tuesday, after two tense days of searching, law enforcement found Nnakai’s body in the backyard of a home off Green Valley Road — inside a trash bag, hidden just beyond a fence separating the home from Pearce’s claimed “stash house.” The medical examiner later confirmed the cause of death: blunt force trauma to the head. This was no accidental tragedy. This was a violent death.
By Friday, both parents were under arrest. Antonio Pearce now faces a sweeping list of charges: malice murder, cruelty to children, aggravated battery and assault, tampering with evidence, concealing a death, unlawful disposal of a human body, false statements, and more. The court rejected bail for nearly all felony counts, granting only a $10,000 bond for a lesser count of filing a false police report. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 10.
Necolette Pratt, 31, has been charged with obstructing an officer, giving false statements, being a party to a crime, and concealing a death. She was denied bond on the felony charges, though a smaller bond was allowed for a misdemeanor obstruction count. Her preliminary hearing is set for November 12.
In the wake of this tragedy, Nnakai’s twin sister — the only survivor of this shattered family — was placed into the custody of Georgia’s child welfare system. Meanwhile, neighbors and community members have left flowers, teddy bears, and wooden crosses at the spot where Nnakai was found, mourning a life so abruptly ended. “This is why you hold your kids tighter at night,” one resident said, echoing a grief felt by many.
Investigators continue to piece together exactly how — and when — this tiny child’s life was taken. The late Friday press conference offered new clarity but left many heartache-laden questions unanswered. One truth remains clear: a precious life was taken, and those seeking justice are now counting on every fact, every testimony, and every piece of evidence to lead them to the truth.