A 27-year-old mother was apprehended in Pennsylvania for the murder of her 3-year-old child in Maryland last year, authorities said Thursday.
According to the Howard County Police Department (HCPD), officers were called to a home in Columbia on November 1, 2024, and discovered the 3-year-old child deceased. Police reported that the toddler had various bruises and scars on their body.
An autopsy was performed in March 2025, confirming that the toddler died of dehydration and malnourishment, ruling their death murder.
Detectives decided that the child’s mother, Shalyne Brown, 27, was to blame for the 3-year-old’s death due to negligence and abuse. Brown did not have a permanent residence, but she was staying at the home in Columbia at the time her child died.
Brown was recently apprehended by police and charged with second-degree murder, as well as first- and second-degree child abuse.
Brown was transferred from Pennsylvania to the Howard County Detention Center and is currently being held without bond.