DETROIT – The 41-year-old accused of killing and burying her son in Detroit has had her court case delayed several weeks.
Brandee Katrice Pierce is facing multiple charges, including first-degree murder, in the death of her 9-year-old son, Zemar King. Pierce is accused of smothering him to death, tying him up and burying him in a shallow grave behind a house in Detroit.
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Just hours before her preliminary examination on Thursday, March 13, prosecutors announced it would be canceled and rescheduled after defense attorneys requested Pierce be referred for a competency evaluation.
Read: Prosecutors say Detroit child told CPS his mother ‘wants to kill him’ months before he was murdered
According to authorities, the landlord of a home on Woodingham Drive was working to prepare the property for a new tenant on Jan. 6 when he discovered the body of a child in a shallow grave in the backyard. The landlord called Detroit police, and when officers arrived they found a human foot sticking out of the frozen ground.
Prosecutors believe Pierce killed Zemar in late October 2024 and left with her 3-year-old son to go to Georgia two weeks later.
On Dec. 20, 2024, police in Georgia investigated Pierce on an unrelated matter regarding the 3-year-old boy and contacted the Detroit Police Department.
Pierce was extradited to Michigan on several charges, including first-degree murder.
The 3-year-old son is currently in foster care.
Pierce’s competency evaluation review has been scheduled for May 13.
