Three-year-old Chayse (Chayce) Allen, a blind child, was killed by his mother Azuradee France in late March 2022 in Detroit, Michigan. France told police she became frustrated with Chayse for not eating, whipped him with a belt, and kicked him in the chest. When he would not wake up the next morning, she was too afraid to call 911 for fear of losing her other children, so she placed his body in a bag and hid it in the basement freezer. The body was discovered approximately three months later on June 24, 2022, during a welfare check by Detroit police, in a severely decomposed state. The medical examiner determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, with two skull fractures. France had a history of abusing Chayse for months before his death and had at least five prior CPS investigations with substantiated reports, a prior conviction for severe physical abuse of a nephew, and untreated mental illness. She ultimately pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 35 to 60 years in prison.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
The Detroit News article states that "CPS investigated France at least five times from 2017 to 2020 and substantiated multiple reports of improper supervision and physical neglect and abuse." This explicitly mentions inappropriate/improper supervision as a substantiated finding by CPS.
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
Multiple sources describe inflicted injuries. The Detroit News article states France "kicked her 3-year-old son in the chest," "whipped him and kicked him in the chest," and "hit him with a belt." The medical examiner report identifies the cause of death as "Blunt force trauma to head." The Detroit News further reports "He had two fractures in his skull, something that would take a lot of force to cause."
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
The medical examiner report lists "Blunt force trauma to head" as the cause of death. The Detroit News article states the assistant medical examiner found "two fractures in his skull, something that would take a lot of force to cause." This constitutes abusive head trauma — non-accidental blunt force head injury resulting in skull fractures in a homicide case.
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
France was charged with torture. The Detroit News article states: "France told police she would often get frustrated with Chayse, who was blind, and hit him with a belt. She abused him for several months before his death." This describes a pattern of deliberate cruelty over an extended period against a blind, helpless child, consistent with prolonged, deliberately cruel treatment.
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Azuradee France, the biological mother, is identified as the perpetrator across all sources. The Detroit News article states she "told police she kicked her 3-year-old son in the chest" and "abused him for several months before his death." The Law&Crime article confirms she "formally pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder in the 2022 slaying of young Chayse Allen."
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Multiple sources confirm the child was blind. The Detroit News article states "Chayse, who was blind" and France said "She'd never had a blind child before." The childwelfaremonitor.org article raises questions about the cause of the blindness, stating "Relatives indicated he lost his sight 'over a year ago.'"
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
The Detroit News article states: "CPS investigated France at least five times from 2017 to 2020 and substantiated multiple reports of improper supervision and physical neglect and abuse." The childwelfaremonitor.org article adds that France "had been involved with the agency at least seven times as a parent" and that "Relatives reported making multiple calls to the child abuse hotline since the return of the children. One visit, due to a burn to Chase, resulted in no action by CPS."
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
The Detroit News article states: "At the time of her fifth child's birth in 2020, her other four kids were in foster care due to physical abuse and France's untreated mental health." The childwelfaremonitor.org article confirms: "all five children were inexplicably returned to her only three months later." The children, including Chayse, were previously in foster care but returned to the mother before the fatal incident.
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Azuradee France was arrested and charged. The Law&Crime article states: "France was initially arrested in June 2022 and charged with a spate of felonies, including felony murder, child abuse, torture, and concealing the death of an individual." She subsequently "formally pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder" with a sentence of 35 to 60 years.
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
The Detroit News article states France had "a history of abusing children and ignoring court-ordered mental health treatment" and that the children were in foster care partly due to "France's untreated mental health." The childwelfaremonitor.org article similarly notes her "failure to address the conditions (including untreated mental illness) that brought her children into care."
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
The Detroit News article states France "had pleaded guilty in 2018 to 'severe physical abuse' of her 2-year-old nephew." The childwelfaremonitor.org article also confirms she "had been arrested and convicted for child abuse of a nephew for whom she was caring temporarily, serving two years of probation." This prior conviction predates and is separate from the fatal incident involving Chayse.
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several significant systemic failures and notable details are documented. The childwelfaremonitor.org article details extensive CPS failures: despite at least 5-7 prior CPS investigations, a conviction for severe physical abuse of a nephew, and untreated mental illness, France's children were "inexplicably returned to her only three months later" after being removed. Relatives objected to the return and made "multiple calls to the child abuse hotline since the return of the children" to no avail; one report regarding a burn to Chase "resulted in no action by CPS." The article also raises an unanswered question about whether Chase's blindness was itself caused by abuse, noting "Relatives indicated he lost his sight 'over a year ago.'" MDHHS refused to release case records despite a state law (MCLS Section 722.627c) requiring disclosure. The body was concealed in a basement freezer for approximately three months before discovery. Additionally, the childwelfaremonitor.org article discusses the broader lack of public outrage and media coverage of the case, arguing it reflects systemic indifference to Black children's deaths at the hands of caregivers.
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