The Clayton County Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed that the body of six-month-old Nnakai Pratt was recovered late this evening, bringing a somber closure to a frantic search. He was found within the crime scene that had been established near the front of an apartment complex. An autopsy is scheduled later this week to determine cause and manner of death.
Neighbors in the Riverdale, Georgia area — especially around the Aspiring to Antastafae apartment complex at 100 Valley Hill Road, where Nnakai was last seen — are reeling from the news. Residents described the announcement as a nightmare come true. “Heartbroken,” said Tracy Karch, a neighbor. “These little ones … the families … they love their kids. This is going to hurt the community really, really bad.” Another local, Meshia Sikes, added, “We are going to feel it for a while … seeing this makes you want to hold your kids tighter at night.”
Nnakai had been reported missing on Sunday from the apartment complex. His father, Antonio Pearce, told authorities he was robbed at gunpoint and that the baby was taken by the assailants, who fled in an unknown direction. But investigators have expressed doubts about that account, citing “inconsistent testimony” and physical evidence suggesting foul play.
Days later, on Tuesday, Nnakai’s body was discovered in a dumpster near the complex — the very area that had been part of the crime scene perimeter. The crime scene was secured earlier in the day in anticipation of further investigative activity.
Antonio Pearce had already been taken into custody Sunday on unrelated charges — including a suspended license and a child restraint violation — but not for the disappearance or death of his son. While he does not currently face charges tied to Nnakai’s case, investigators are reportedly treating him as a person of interest due to the discrepancies in his account and the evidence gathered.
As the community waits, grief mixes with urgent questions: What really happened to Nnakai in those few hours between disappearance and discovery? Was it a kidnapping gone tragically wrong — or something else entirely? The upcoming autopsy and forensic work may provide answers, but for now, sorrow and suspicion linger heavily over the place where a tiny life vanished.