He Reported 2-Year-Old Messiah Harris Missing — Now Police Say the Child’s Bo-dy Was Hidden in the Woods
Mother’s Boyfriend Reported 2-Year-Old Messiah Harris Missing; Police Say He Hid the Child’s Body in Woods
On August 7, 2026, officers responded shortly before 2 p.m. to the Briggs at Powers Park apartment complex in Marietta after 2-year-old Messiah Harris was reported missing. At about 7:20 p.m., officers found Messiah deceased in a wooded area behind the complex.
Police said the child’s mother was not home at the time and that Dairon Keith, 23, her boyfriend, was caring for Messiah. Keith was the person who called 911 and said the child had last been seen in the apartment around 1:30 p.m.
Investigators said Keith gave inconsistent statements and accused him of placing Messiah’s body in the woods, where it was loosely covered with dirt and vegetation.
Keith was arrested August 8 and charged with concealing the death of another and making false statements. He was being held without bond in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.
Authorities said early evidence indicated Messiah may have been deceased before the missing-person call. The medical examiner and Marietta Police are still working to determine how and when he died, and police said additional charges remain possible.
