Syracuse police say the body of missing 5-year-old Nefertiti Harris has been found. Authorities acted on information provided in recent days by her mother as they began their investigation. Police allege 29-year-old Latasha Mott beat Nefertiti to death with a belt in January and disposed of her body. Police say the girl had not been seen for several months and was recently reported missing. Police Chief Joe Cecile says during the investigation it became clear that something more serious than a missing child was in play. He says they found her remains in a wooded area off Salt Springs Road Tuesday morning.
“It is still a very sobering conclusion to the sad and tragic event,” Cecile said at a press conference Tuesday afternoon. “I want to say this too. Just when we see we think we’ve seen everything, something like this comes along and just punches us in the gut, that punches everyone in this community in the gut.”
Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh notes that there have been several crimes involving children that are difficult to put into words.
“I think part of it is because when you try to put yourself in a place to make sense of a mother killing her five year old daughter,” Walsh said. “It brings you to a dark place that you don’t ever want to be.”
Mott has been arrested and charged with manslaughter in the first degree. But Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick says charges could be upgraded to murder pending further investigation and results from the medical examiner’s office. He says it does not appear Mott disposed of her daughter’s body on her own. Fitzpatrick says his office is questioning Mott’s boyfriend about his alleged involvement of her, but he’s not cooperating.
