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Law enforcement has found the remains of Nefertiti Harris — a 5-year-old girl who police believe was killed by her mother, Latasha Mott — Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile announced at a Tuesday press conference.

The Syracuse Police Department first responded to a missing person investigation regarding Nefertiti on March 23. At that time, she had not been seen by extended family members in several months, Cecile said. At the direction of Mott, law enforcement searched a wooded area off Salt Springs Road, where they found the child’s remains.

Police said Mott had hit her daughter with a belt multiple times three months ago, killing her, syracuse.com reported Monday. When police initially questioned her after she returned to Syracuse from a trip Sunday, Mott admitted her child’s body was in the woods.

It appears her body was there for months, Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said.

“I know we’re not supposed to talk in religious terms in this line of work, but … children are a gift from God, and anyone that knowingly, intentionally takes that gift away is evil,” Mayor Ben Walsh said. “There is no justifying it. So rather than spend time trying to justify it, we need to spend our time holding people accountable and making sure that we do everything in our power to make sure that it never happens again.”

As of the afternoon press conference, Mott is incarcerated and unable to make bail on the charge of first-degree manslaughter, Fitzpatrick said. Onondaga County Medical Examiner Carolyn Revercomb is “in the process” of retrieving Nefertiti’s remains and will examine them further, the DA said. The case is being handled by Chief Assistant DA Robert Moran, he added.

“I know many of you have a lot of questions: who did what and when and where and why? Those are the same questions that I have and Mr. Moran has and the mayor has,” Fitzpatrick said. “I assure you that we will answer those questions in due time.”

Along with Fitzpatrick and SPD’s homicide team, law enforcement executed search warrants and conducted a series of interviews and neighborhood canvasses prior to her body being found.

Fitzpatrick said the police department is actively investigating at least one person, Mott’s boyfriend, for their role in disposing of Nefertiti’s body. Fitzpatrick said that while Mott’s boyfriend’s lawyer has been cooperative, he has not.

CNY Central reported that, responding to robocalls from the Syracuse City School District inquiring about Nefertiti’s absence from Meachem Elementary School, Mott said her daughter moved to Georgia, according to SCSD Spokesperson Amanda Hull. The school never received a request to transfer her, said Hull, who added that employees made multiple referrals to Child Protective Services.

This story will be updated with additional reporting.

Published on March 26, 2024 at 8:25 pm

Contact Kyle: kschouin@syr.edu | @Kyle_Chouinard