PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A West Philly mother and her boyfriend were found guilty Monday of third-degree murder in the 2023 death of 4-year-old Damari Carter.
The verdict came after one juror was dismissed for discussing the case outside the courtroom.
Dominique Bailey, Carter’s mother, brought her son to her boyfriend, Kevin Spencer’s home, and, according to prosecutors, had plans to get rid of the boy and start a new family.
In December 2023, Bailey told police her son was hit and killed by a car, but investigators said there was no evidence to support that.
He was found dead inside a duffel bag in West Philadelphia a few months later, in March 2024.
Spencer’s lawyer called Bailey an unfit mother, while Bailey’s lawyer leaned on surveillance footage that showed Spencer carrying the same duffel bag Damari’s body was found in.
On Monday, the jury found both Spencer and Bailey not guilty of first-degree murder, but guilty of third-degree murder and other charges, including conspiracy, abuse of a corpse and false reporting of a crime.
They will be sentenced in December.
