Mother's boyfriend accused of hiding body of missing 2-year-old found dead in Marietta, police say

The boyfriend of a 2-year-old boy's mother is facing felony charges after investigators accused him of hiding the child's body in the woods behind a Marietta apartment complex and lying to police.

Marietta police said 23-year-old Dairon Keith of Kennesaw was the person who called 911 to report Messiah Harris missing. Investigators now allege Keith made false statements to both Cobb County 911 and officers who responded to the report.

Police said Keith is accused of placing Messiah's body in the woods behind the apartment complex and loosely covering it with dirt and vegetation.

Keith has been charged with felony concealing the death of another person and felony making false statements. He was booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, where police said he is being held without bond.

The charges come after an extensive search for Messiah, who was just weeks away from his third birthday.

Officers were initially called to an apartment complex at 8 Ridge Run shortly before 2 p.m. on Aug. 7 after receiving a report that the child was missing. Police were initially told Messiah had last been seen at the apartment around 1:30 p.m. wearing blue-and-white striped pajamas.

Hours later, police announced Messiah's body had been found around 7:20 p.m. in the woods behind the apartment complex. Investigators said preliminary indications suggested his body had been there for a "considerable amount of time."

The Cobb County Medical Examiner's Office is working with Marietta police to determine Messiah's cause and time of death.

Police said the investigation remains active and additional charges could be filed depending on the findings of detectives and the medical examiner.