An infant is murdered by her mother In a heart-wrenching case from Memphis, Tennessee, a nine-month-old Black female named Lauryn Dickens lost her life on September 7, 2010. The story that initially unfolded was one of a mysterious disappearance. Lauryn's mother, Shakara Dickens, told authorities that she had handed her daughter over to an unknown woman who had claimed to be a friend of the child's incarcerated father, Benjamin Norfleet. Shakara alleged this woman offered to care for Lauryn until Norfleet was released from jail.
However, Shakara could not provide a name or any contact information for this supposed caretaker, raising immediate suspicion among investigators.
As days turned into a week without any sign of the infant, Shakara’s behavior grew increasingly concerning to those around her. Instead of showing the distress of a mother with a missing child, she was seen at nightclubs and shopping. It was not until her own mother insisted that she finally reported Lauryn missing to the police on September 15, eight days after she was last seen. When questioned, Norfleet denied sending anyone to collect his daughter and stated he hadn't been in contact with Shakara. The inconsistencies in Shakara's story began to unravel, and she provided conflicting accounts of Lauryn's whereabouts to different people.
The investigation soon focused entirely on Shakara Dickens as the primary suspect. A significant breakthrough came when cadaver dogs indicated the scent of human remains in both her apartment and her car. A week after she had filed the missing person report, Shakara was arrested and charged with aggravated child neglect, child endangerment, and filing a false report. The charges were escalated in January 2011 to first-degree murder. The grim truth was eventually revealed in June 2012, when Shakara confessed to the horrific act. Overwhelmed by frustration and the stress of not being able to find a babysitter, she admitted to smothering her crying daughter.
Following her confession, Shakara detailed how she had wrapped Lauryn's small body in a towel, placed her in a trash bag, and disposed of her in a dumpster at her apartment complex. Tragically, Lauryn's remains have never been recovered. During her trial, a former cellmate testified that Shakara had expressed remorse during a jailhouse religious service. Shakara Dickens was ultimately found guilty of voluntary manslaughter, second-degree murder, and child neglect. She was sentenced to nineteen years in prison for the death of her daughter.
