Body of missing 13-year-old found in Columbia fire

The body of 13-year-old Ka’Niyah Baker, who had been missing since January 13, was discovered in an unoccupied home following a fire in Columbia, South Carolina. The Richland County Coroner's Office has ruled her death a homicide, although it remains unclear whether she died as a result of the fire or before it occurred. Authorities had issued a plea for information on Baker's whereabouts after she was last seen in Hopkins. Firefighters found her body while responding to the blaze on Cardamon Court late Wednesday night. The Columbia Police Department is investigating the circumstances surrounding her death, describing it as suspicious. Coroner Naida Rutherford expressed condolences, emphasizing the tragedy of losing a child in such circumstances.