A 33-year-old mother of six from Michigan will serve several decades in prison for torturing and killing her blind 3-year-old son before stuffing his body into a basement freezer. Azuradee France formally pled guilty to one count of second-degree murder in the 2022 slaying of toddler Chayse Allen, according to court records.
France was first arrested in June 2022 and charged with some charges, including felony murder, child abuse, torture, and hiding the death of another. All additional accusations against France were dropped in exchange for her guilty plea to the murder of her son.
France’s murder trial was slated to begin on Monday.
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France’s attorney, Lillian Diallo of the Public Defender’s Office, told The Detroit News that her client’s plea agreement involves a 35- to 60-year sentence in a state jail prison.
According to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, at 12:45 p.m. on June 24, 2022, officers from the Detroit Police Department responded to a request for a welfare check on a young child at a home in the 12760 block of Montevista.
When police arrived at the scene, they discovered the “remains of a deceased child” — later identified as Chayse — in a freezer in the basement of the residence. France was taken to jail and sent to the Wayne County Jail.
Detroit Police Chief James E. White stated that what officers saw inside France’s home was “something no one should have to see.”
“The other kids, just imagine what they must have gone through and endured being inside of that home,” the police chief stated at the time. “And yes, a child was decomposing, and yes, the child was found in the freezer.”
White stated that the officers could tell something was “not right” with France’s communication style and how she continuously tried to send away police and Child Protective Services “as if nothing was going on.” However, he stated that the cops “knew something was wrong,” which prompted the search of the house and the discovery of Chayse’s body.
Prosecutors were likewise astounded by the severity of the case.
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“The alleged facts in this case have astounded even the seriously jaded,” Worthy said in a statement released after France’s arrest. “Our children continue to be at risk – not just from gun violence but also from the alleged murderer that lives in the house with them.”
In an interview with police, France reportedly stated that one night in late March 2022, she became more upset with Chayse’s refusal to eat, so she lashed the youngster with a belt and kicked him in the chest. When she went to check on him the next morning, the youngster had died.
France claimed that she did not call 911 because she was afraid the police would take her other children away. Instead, she placed Chayse’s body in a bag and took it down to the basement freezer.
France is expected to appear in court again on July 29 for her sentence hearing.