Three-month-old Genevieve Rozzlyn Comager was killed on May 14, 2023, by her father, Damion Comager (age 23), who shook and slapped the infant when she would not stop crying. After the baby became unresponsive, the father refused to seek medical help because he feared marks around her neck would raise suspicion. The father and the baby's mother, Ivana Paolozzi (age 20), then placed the baby's body in a book bag and dumped it in a wooded area near the Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx, not far from the transitional housing shelter where the family lived. The remains were discovered approximately two weeks later on May 28, 2023. The father was turned in by his own father, Donald Comager, who consulted with a priest before calling police. Damion Comager was charged with murder and concealment of a corpse, and Paolozzi was charged with concealment of a corpse and obstructing governmental administration.
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)
Multiple sources describe inflicted injuries. The NYPD SHR lists the weapon as "Hands, Fists etc." The NY Post article states: "David Comager allegedly admitted that he shook and slapped the baby on May 14." The article also mentions "marks around her neck." The ABC7 article describes him "shaking his 3-month-old daughter to death."
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
The NY Post article states that the father "didn't want to take her to a hospital after she became unresponsive because she had marks around her neck that he feared would raise suspicion." This describes a deliberate refusal to seek medical care for an unresponsive infant, which constitutes medical neglect even though it was motivated by concealment of abuse.
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?
The ABC7 article describes the father as "shaking his 3-month-old daughter to death." The NY Post article quotes the grandfather: "He said he just shook her and lay her down." The ABC7 article further states: "Comager allegedly told them that he shook the crying baby on May 14." This is an explicit description of shaken baby / abusive head trauma.
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
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?
Damion Comager, the biological father, is described as shaking and slapping his daughter, directly causing her death. The NYPD SHR lists the perpetrator-victim relationship as "Parent." The ABC7 article states he is "charged with murder and manslaughter in the death of his infant daughter, Genevieve." The NY Post article identifies him as "The father of a 3-month-old girl."
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
The biological mother, Ivana Paolozzi, was involved in the aftermath of the death. The NY Post states she "was also arrested and charged with concealment of a corpse and obstructing governmental administration." The ABC7 article describes her as a "co-defendant" charged with "helping him dispose of the body." While she did not directly cause the death, she was involved in concealing it and was criminally charged in the case.
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?
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)?
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 NYPD SHR states "Perpetrator Status Description: Arrested." The NY Post article confirms: "The baby's dad was charged with murder and concealment of a corpse Monday night at the NYPD's 44th Precinct." The ABC7 article states he "is charged with murder and manslaughter in the death of his infant daughter." The mother was also "arrested and charged with concealment of a corpse and obstructing governmental administration."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The NY Post article states that Damion Comager "had several prior arrests in the Pelican State on assault, domestic violence and criminal impersonation charges dating to 2021, according to NYPD sources." This explicitly references a domestic violence history for the parent/caregiver.
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
The NY Post article states the baby's body was discovered "not far from the transitional housing shelter where she lived with her dad and 20-year-old mother." This explicitly places the family in transitional housing at the time of the incident.
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
The NY Post article explicitly states: "Damion Comager struggled with mental illness and was diagnosed bipolar and schizophrenic as a child, his dad said."
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Multiple sources describe prior criminal history for the father predating this incident. The ABC7 article states: "Comager has three active arrest warrants in Colorado for assault, failure to appear and a probation violation." The NY Post article states: "He had several prior arrests in the Pelican State on assault, domestic violence and criminal impersonation charges dating to 2021, according to NYPD sources." These all predate the current fatal incident.
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the sources. The NY Post article describes how the perpetrator's own father, Donald Comager, turned him in after consulting with a priest: "I called my pastor before I made the phone call... We prayed and he told me he can't tell me what to do but I should do the right thing. That's when I made the call." Additionally, the ABC7 article notes that Comager "has three active arrest warrants in Colorado" and "is alleged to have fled to France to avoid the charges, where he met his girlfriend and co-defendant Ivana Paolozzi." The couple then moved to New York City from Switzerland in December, shortly before the baby was born. The baby's body was concealed for approximately two weeks before discovery, having been placed in a book bag and dumped in a wooded area near Yankee Stadium. The family was living in transitional housing at the time.
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