Four-year-old Damari Carter died on December 8, 2023, in West Philadelphia after being fatally beaten by his mother, Dominique Bailey, and her boyfriend, Kevin Spencer, inside their apartment on the 3800 block of Reno Street. Investigators recovered photos and videos from Spencer's phone showing the child covered in bruises with blackened eyes and a swollen head, and Bailey acknowledged that Spencer had beaten Damari on multiple occasions. After the child died, Spencer placed the body in a trash bag and disposed of it. Bailey then fabricated a story that Damari had been struck and killed by a car. The death went unreported for weeks until Damari's relatives, unable to verify Bailey's story, contacted a local TV reporter who was a former police crime scene investigator, leading to a police investigation. Bailey and Spencer were both charged with murder and related offenses. In March 2024, Damari's remains were found by city cleanup workers in a duffle bag in an alleyway less than half a mile from where he had lived.
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 confirm the child was beaten to death. The fatality report states "the mother and the mother's paramour beat the child to death." The Inquirer article elaborates that "Prosecutors say the boy's mother, Dominique Bailey, and her boyfriend, Kevin Spencer, beat the toddler inside their West Philadelphia apartment during the first week of December." Additionally, photos and videos on Spencer's phone showed the child "covered in bruises, his eyes blackened and head swollen."
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
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?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
The Inquirer article reports that "Investigators recovered videos and photos in Spencer's phone that showed Damari covered in bruises, his eyes blackened and head swollen on the morning of Dec. 7. Bailey said she had seen Spencer had beaten her son before, including on that day." This indicates a pattern of repeated, severe beatings over the period Damari lived with Spencer (approximately late November through December 8), with the child sustaining extensive visible injuries (widespread bruises, blackened eyes, swollen head) across multiple incidents, suggesting a pattern of deliberately cruel treatment beyond a single abusive act.
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?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
The fatality report states the child's "mother" was named as a perpetrator. The Inquirer article confirms Bailey is the biological mother, as she "moved from Texas to Philadelphia in 2023" with Damari and is identified by the child's father, Darryle Carter, as his former partner. The NBC article also identifies "Damari's mother, 30-year-old Dominique Bailey" and notes both Bailey and Spencer were "charged with murder" in the child's death.
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)?
The fatality report names "mother's paramour" as one of the perpetrators. The Inquirer identifies him as "Kevin Spencer, 30, is Bailey's boyfriend." The NBC article states he was charged with murder along with Bailey. He was not the child's biological father; the child's father, Darryle Carter, stated: "I was surprised that there was this other guy. I have no idea who this guy is. Never met him before."
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?
Multiple sources confirm both adults were charged. The fatality report states "the mother and the mother's paramour had been criminally charged." The Inquirer article states "Bailey and Spencer have been charged with murder, abuse of corpse, and related crimes." The NBC article specifies they were "charged with murder, conspiracy, endangering the welfare of children, criminal use of communication facility, abuse of corpse, false report and tampering with evidence."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several substantive details emerge from the sources. First, the case was only uncovered because Damari's relatives, suspicious of Bailey's claim that the child was hit by a car, reached out to a 6abc TV reporter who was a former crime scene investigator for Philadelphia police, who then alerted detectives. As the Inquirer reports: "the family reached out to 6abc for help. A reporter who is a former police officer spoke with them, then sent information to a detective." Second, investigators initially believed Damari's body would never be recovered—the Inquirer states that "investigators believe his remains were likely swept up in the city's waste system, taken to an incineration plant in Chester or to a distant landfill"—but the body was ultimately discovered in a duffle bag in March 2024 less than half a mile from where the child had lived, as confirmed by the NBC article. Third, the perpetrators concealed the death for weeks and disposed of the child's body, with Spencer placing the remains in a trash bag; Bailey fabricated a car accident story to explain the child's absence. The fatality report notes the family "had no prior documented child welfare involvement."
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