PHOTO: GOFUNDME
A Michigan mother has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the torture and murder of her 3-year-old son, whose body she concealed in a freezer. Azuradee France, 33, reached a plea agreement on Friday, July 12, and will be sentenced to 35 to 60 years for the death of her son, Chayse Allen, according to the Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney’s office. France’s other charges—first-degree child abuse, torture, and concealing a death—will be dismissed at her sentencing on July 29, as per the agreement with Wayne County prosecutors.
The horrific details of the case emerged from police investigations and court documents. France admitted to police that she kicked her son in the chest when he refused to eat, reported The Detroit News. The next morning, she found him unresponsive but did not call 911, fearing that authorities would take her other children away. Instead, she placed Chayse’s body in the freezer, where it remained for three months.
The gruesome discovery was made after Child Protective Services received an anonymous tip, prompting police to visit France’s home. Detroit Police Chief James White described the case as shocking and deeply disturbing at a June 2022 press conference following France’s arrest. “It was determined that the 3-year-old child was deceased in his home in the basement and sadly found in a freezer,” White said. “This case has shocked me, it’s shocked our investigators, but the discovery would not have been possible without the officers’ intuition.”
Chief White highlighted the trauma experienced by the other children in the household. “The other kids—just imagine what they must have gone through and what they must have endured being inside of that home. And yes, a child was decomposing and yes, a child was found in the freezer,” he stated.
When officers first interviewed France, they noticed inconsistencies and odd behavior. “They recognized that there was something not right about the conversation and the way this occupant was communicating with them,” White said, noting that France’s attempts to dismiss the officers raised suspicions. “Their intuition and their experience led them to know that something was wrong.”
As the community and investigators grapple with the tragic details of Chayse Allen’s death, the case underscores the critical role of vigilant law enforcement and the dire consequences of unreported child abuse. France’s sentencing later this month will bring a measure of closure to a profoundly heartbreaking case.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
