SYRACUSE, NY – Suspicious internet searches have become a focal point in the case against a mother accused of murder and concealing her daughter’s body, a detective testified during a court session.
Latasha Mott, 30, faces significant charges, including murder and hiding a corpse, following the tragic death of her 5-year-old daughter, Nefertiti Harris. Authorities allege Mott used a belt to fatally beat Nefertiti while she was showering on January 6, 2024. After the crime, Mott purportedly concealed the girl’s body in a nearby wooded area.
Compounding the case, 28-year-old Corrice Parks, Mott’s boyfriend, has also been charged with assisting in hiding Nefertiti’s body, according to allegations.
It wasn’t until March 26, nearly two months after the incident, that Nefertiti’s remains were found, as family members only noticed her absence weeks after her death, per local reports.
Details emerging from Onondaga County Court revealed that investigators uncovered unsettling internet search queries on Mott’s phone, sparking further scrutiny. Among the searches were queries like “Why do killers hide kids’ bodies?” and “Do bodies smell in the winter?” testified a detective involved in the case, whose name remains undisclosed.
These findings, the detective noted, raised immediate concerns among the investigative team.
Defense attorneys for Mott have contested the relevance of introducing the search results as evidence, arguing that the context of the searches might reflect a stressed parent seeking answers rather than a culpable suspect. They questioned the fairness of these potential violations of Mott’s rights if she was treated as a suspect without legal representation during initial inquiries.
Despite the troubling search history, the detective affirmed that during the investigation, law enforcement maintained hope that Nefertiti would be found alive.
Mott is scheduled to return to court on April 5. The proceedings are expected to focus on Parks, including an examination of his reported statements to the police, which could play a pivotal role in the unfolding case.