Zemar King
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CANDID ID: MI_24_2838
AGE
9   years
STATE
Michigan
DATE OF DEATH
1/6/2025
DEATH RECORDS (M.E.R.)
STATE REPORTS (F.R.)
Not Available
SUMMARY OF DEATH
Zemar King, a 9-year-old boy, was killed by smothering and compression of the neck in approximately late October 2024 by his mother, Brandee Pierce, at a rental property in Detroit, Michigan. His body was found bound and buried in a shallow grave in the backyard on January 6, 2025, when the landlord was preparing the property for a new tenant. Six months before his death, Zemar had told a CPS caseworker that his mother beat him with a belt, choked him, and wanted to kill him, but the case was closed for insufficient evidence. After the killing, Pierce fled to Georgia with her surviving 3-year-old son, where she was eventually arrested on unrelated charges before being extradited to Michigan and charged with first-degree murder, felony murder, first-degree child abuse, tampering with evidence, and concealing a death.
Contexts/Conditions

Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?

Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?

Is there any mention of a firearm incident?

Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?

Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)

The ME report states the cause of death was "Smothering and compression of neck." The wxyz.com article reports Zemar told CPS his mother "beat him with a belt, choked him with her hands." The clickondetroit.com article states Pierce is "accused of smothering him to death."

Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?

The wxyz.com article reports that Zemar told CPS "the family often had no food" and that a former prosecutor summarized: "the child...had no food to eat." While there is no formal diagnosis of malnutrition, chronic food deprivation is documented.

Is there any mention of medical neglect?

Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?

Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?

Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?

Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?

Is there any mention of sexual abuse?

Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?

Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?

Multiple sources describe a pattern of prolonged cruelty: the wxyz.com article states Zemar told CPS his mother "beat him with a belt, choked him with her hands and wanted to kill him," the family "often had no food," and "he hadn't been to school in a year." The ME report states the child was "found bound and buried in shallow backyard grave." The combination of chronic physical abuse (beating, choking), food deprivation, social isolation (no school for a year), and the manner of death (bound) indicates a pattern of sustained cruelty beyond a single incident.

Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?

Individuals Involved

Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?

Was a biological father involved in the death?

Was a biological mother involved in the death?

Multiple sources identify the child's biological mother, Brandee Pierce, as the alleged killer. The cbsnews.com article states: "Brandee Katrice Pierce, 41, is accused of fatally assaulting her son, Zemar King." She is charged with first-degree murder.

Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?

Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?

Was a foster parent involved in the death?

Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?

Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)

Was a sibling involved in the death?

Child Characteristics

Was the child adopted?

Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?

The wxyz.com article reports that Zemar told CPS "he hadn't been to school in a year." There is no indication of homeschooling or alternative education; the child was simply out of school entirely.

Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?

Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?

Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)

Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)

Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?

Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?

The wxyz.com article describes a CPS investigation in April 2024, months before the October 2024 death: "Zemar told a CPS employee in April 2024 that his mother, Brandee Pierce, beat him with a belt, choked him with her hands and wanted to kill him." A CPS caseworker investigated but "concluded there wasn't enough evidence to substantiate a neglect complaint...and the case was closed."

Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?

Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?

Parent/Caregiver Factors

Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?

The cbsnews.com article states: "Pierce is charged with first-degree murder, felony murder, first-degree child abuse, tampering with evidence and concealing the death of an individual." The fox5atlanta.com article confirms Pierce was arrested in Georgia.

Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?

Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?

Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?

Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?

The wxyz.com article states: "a CPS caseworker would be called to a Plymouth hospital after Pierce arrived in the midst of a mental health crisis." Additionally, the competency evaluation ordered by the court relates to her mental state. The mental health crisis is explicitly documented.

Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?

Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?

The fox5atlanta.com article reports that after the murder, Brandee Pierce was arrested in Georgia and charged with "possession of a controlled substance." While no specific substance is named, a possession charge implies substance use by the parent/caregiver.

Notable Details

The wxyz.com article documents a significant CPS systemic failure: in April 2024, Zemar told a CPS worker that his mother beat him with a belt, choked him with her hands, and wanted to kill him. Despite this disclosure, the CPS caseworker "concluded there wasn't enough evidence to substantiate a neglect complaint" and the case was closed. A former federal prosecutor, Matthew Filbeck, stated this case warranted investigation of the CPS worker for potential criminal charges including "willful neglect of duty" and "misconduct in office." Additionally, the child's biological father Derrick Brown was unaware the child existed until after his death, and had attempted to gain custody but was thwarted when the mother cancelled a planned DNA test. The mother also fled to Georgia after the killing and was involved in further criminal activity involving her surviving 3-year-old child.