by | Published
SAN ANTONIO — D’Lanny Reaneille Chairez has been sentenced to 20 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice after pleading guilty to injury to a child by omission in connection with the disappearance and death of her 18-month-old son, James Avi Chairez.
Court records show the guilty plea was entered on Tuesday, concluding a years-long investigation that began after James was last seen on surveillance footage with his mother at a Walgreens on January 4, 2021.
Family members raised alarms after not seeing the child since Thanksgiving of 2020. Investigators noted that Chairez gave conflicting explanations regarding James' whereabouts, including multiple claims that she had placed him for adoption.
Search warrants for Chairez’s trailer home led authorities to discover several of James’ belongings, including his car seat, stroller, diapers, and a crib sheet with human blood. In May 2021, the remains of James Avi Chairez were found in the trailer.
During the investigation, Chairez told authorities she struggled with mental health and did not feel prepared for motherhood, stating that her son “deserves better.”
Chairez will serve her sentence in state prison.
