Brandee Pierce
DETROIT (FOX 2) - A mother accused of killing her 9-year-old son and burying his body in the yard of her Detroit home is headed to trial after she waived her right to a preliminary examination on Tuesday.
Brandee Katrice Pierce appeared in Detroit's 36th District Court via video to waive the hearing.
The backstory:
According to Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, Pierce allegedly murdered Zemar King III and then bought a shovel, dug a hole behind the garage of her rental home on Woodingham, and buried his body in October 2024. King's hands and feet were bound, Worthy said. An autopsy showed that the child died from neck compression and being smothered.
King's body was discovered on Jan. 6, 2025, when crews working at the rental home noticed a foot sticking out of the ground.
Zemar King III
Though the body wasn't found until this year, Pierce became the focus of police in Georgia on Dec. 20, 2024, because of an investigation into an unrelated matter involving her 3-year-old son. The Cobb County Sheriff's Office in Georgia contacted Detroit police and assisted with the investigation into King's murder.
Pierce was charged in February with first-degree murder, first-degree child abuse, felony murder, tampering with evidence, and concealing the death of an individual for allegedly killing 9-year-old Zemar King III.
What's next:
Pierce is scheduled to be arraigned in Wayne County Circuit Court on Nov. 12.
The Source: This information is from previous reporting and Brandee Pierce's preliminary exam.
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