A Texas woman has been sentenced to prison, following the 2021 disappearance and death of her toddler son.
Reports from News4SA indicate that D’Lanny Reaneille Chairez accepted a guilty plea on Tuesday for causing injury to a child by not acting. A judge in San Antonio has sentenced her to a 20-year prison term.
The incident, as earlier outlined by CrimeOnline, first came to light on January 4, 2021. Family members reported seeing Chairez and her 18-month-old son, James Avi Chairez, for the last time at a Walgreens in San Antonio, captured on surveillance cameras.
The family, however, said they hadn’t physically seen James since Thanksgiving 2020.
When police located Chairez, her son was not with her, and she gave conflicting accounts on his whereabouts.
The arrest affidavit reveals Chairez disclosed to investigators that she had considered placing her son up for adoption, believing he would be “better off” elsewhere due to her struggles with mental health.
Chairez would later tell investigators that she gave her son away to numerous people, but didn’t supply any additional information.
During the investigation, authorities found human blood on a crib sheet at her residence. By May 2021, they located the child’s remains inside the home.
“Just 20 years with credit for time served? What about justice?” expressed Marisol Benavidez, James’ aunt, as reported by KSAT 12. “She’ll be in her early 40s when she’s released. She can move on and enjoy her life. Sadly, James never got that opportunity.”
Chairez, who had been serving in time in jail for tampering with evidence, received 1,604 days of credit.
[Feature Photo: James Avi Chavez and D’Lanny Reaneille Chairez/Police Handout]
