Columbus twin abducted in December dies, police confirm

Cole Behrens and Max Filby, The Columbus Dispatch
·3 min read
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Ky'air and Kason Thomas were left in a running car around 9:45 p.m. Monday as their mother went inside Donatos Pizza, 920 N. High St. in Columbus' Short North neighborhood. The car was gone by the time she turned around, according to Columbus police.
Ky'air and Kason Thomas were left in a running car around 9:45 p.m. Monday as their mother went inside Donatos Pizza, 920 N. High St. in Columbus' Short North neighborhood. The car was gone by the time she turned around, according to Columbus police.

Ky'air Thomas, one of the twin Columbus boys abducted in December, died late Saturday night.

Columbus Police responded to a call of a baby not breathing late Saturday on East Whittier Street. When police arrived, they found 6-month-old Ky'air unresponsive and transported him to Nationwide Children's Hospital, said Sgt. David Scarpitti, a police spokesperson.

Columbus child kidnapping:Suspect charged with stealing other vehicles before car with infant twins

Deputy Chief Smith Weir said Ky'air's passing was a tragic situation and that the case was still under investigation.

Melanie Amato, spokesperson for Columbus police, said it was too early in the investigation on Sunday to determine the manner of death. Homicide detectives initially responded, but Amato said they are not taking any lead in the investigation at this time.

An autopsy may be performed to help determine the cause of death, Amato said.

On Instagram on Sunday, Ky'air's mother Wilhelmina Barnett said her son appeared to have a seizure before he died. She said she didn't know what caused it or his death.

"Please let me grieve Ky'air," she posted on Instagram. "We are nothing without you."

Family members could not be immediately reached for comment. A spokesperson for the family said they were not prepared to make a statement, but were asking for prayers at this time.

Ky'air and his twin brother Kason, were abducted by a female suspect who allegedly stole their mother's running car moments after she went inside a Donatos restaurant on North High Street around 9:45 p.m. Dec. 19 to pick up a DoorDash order.

Ky'air was found at the Dayton International Airport on Dec. 20 and returned home. Kason was found safe in Indianapolis on Dec. 22.

>>Read More:A chance encounter and mother's intuition: How 2 Indy women helped find missing Ohio twin

Mecka Curry, one of the women who helped find baby Kason Thomas in Indianapolis, on social media Sunday morning shared her condolences to the family.

“You will forever live in our hearts (Ky'air),” she wrote. “My heart is broken.”

The suspected abductor, Nalah T. Jackson, 24, is currently facing two federal charges of kidnapping a minor after Columbus police say she stole the running 2010 Honda on Dec. 19 that had Ky'air and Kason in it.

Jackson is scheduled to face a jury trial in federal court in Columbus on March 20. If convicted, she faces 20 years to life in prison on each of the two counts.

The abduction case, which unfolded over four days, transfixed Ohioans and people across the nation.

After Ky'air was found in Dayton, attention swelled on the case as friends, family and law enforcement searched for the still-missing Kason and pled for his safe return. A chance encounter between Jackson and two women outside of an Indianapolis gas station triggered a series of events that would lead to Jackson's capture and the discovery of Kason.

Indianapolis Star reporter Sarah Nelson contributed to this story.

@Colebehr_report

Cbehrens@dispatch.com

mfilby@dispatch.com

@MaxFilby

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ky'air Thomas, child abducted in December in Columbus, has died