Mom killed her 3-year-old blind son, convinced his siblings not to worry and stuffed his body in basement freezer

July 30, 2024 Justin Peters

33-year-old Azuradee France, a Michigan mother of six has been sentenced to decades behind bars for the brutal murder of her blind 3-year-old son.

Earlier this month, France pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder. This plea resulted in the dropping of other severe charges, including felony murder, child abuse, torture and concealing the death of an individual.

The grim discovery that led to France’s arrest occurred on June 24, 2022, when Detroit police responded to a welfare check at a home in the 12760 block of Monte Vista. Inside the basement freezer, officers found the body of Chayse Allen. The police took France into custody immediately, transporting her to the Wayne County Jail.

In a confession to the police, France recounted a night in late March 2022 when she lost patience with Chayse for refusing to eat. She admitted to whipping him with a belt and kicking him in the chest. The next morning, she found him dead.

“Overwhelmed” and “afraid” that calling 911 would result in losing her other children, France decided to hide Chayse’s body. She told the two children who discovered their brother’s body that she would “take care of it,” then placed him in a bag and hid him in the basement freezer.

France also explained her frustration with Chayse’s special needs and the lack of support she received. She mentioned that Chayse was supposed to be staying with his father, who had previously taken care of her children.

“He was so different,” France reportedly told police. “My dad wasn’t supposed to bring him back to me,” she added.

Detroit Police Chief James E. White described the scene inside the home as unimaginable. He highlighted the trauma likely endured by the other children living there.

“The other kids, just imagine what they must have gone through and what they must have endured being inside of that home,” he said.

The initial interaction between the officers and France revealed something was amiss as she tried to turn away the police and Child Protective Services, insisting nothing was wrong.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy was equally horrified by the details of the case. “The alleged facts in this case have astounded even the seriously jaded,” Worthy stated, emphasizing the dangers children face, not only from external threats like gun violence but also from those within their own homes.

France and Allen Chayse — France Azuradee and Allen Chayse

France will spend 35 to 60 years in a state correctional facility following the 2022 killing of young Chayse Allen. This sentence was handed down by Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Tracy E. Green, who credited France with 767 days of time already served.

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During the sentencing, France sat silently, her face covered by her hands, as Judge Green announced her fate.

As France begins her sentence, the community is left to grapple with the devastating loss of a young life and the lingering impact on those who survived such a traumatic environment.