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(CNN) — A mother in Detroit has been charged with murder after the body of her 3-year-old son was found in a freezer Friday, according to the Wayne County District Attorney’s Office.
The boy’s mother, Azuradee France, 31, was also charged by Wayne County District Attorney Kym Worthy with child abuse, torture and concealment of death, which are felonies, authorities said.
France was arraigned on Sunday and pleaded not guilty, the prosecutor’s office told CNN.
The boy’s body was discovered early Friday morning after police officers came to the home to conduct a welfare check, Detroit Police Chief James White said at a news conference Friday. Agents found the boy’s decomposing body in a freezer, White said.
Investigators said at this time they are not sure how long the boy’s body was in the freezer or when or how he may have died. The medical examiner’s office ruled the boy’s death a homicide, police said.
“The alleged facts in this case have stunned even the most jaded,” Worthy said in a statement.
Five other children who lived in the home were checked out at a hospital and were in the custody of Child Protective Services, police said.
France remains in custody and his next hearing is scheduled for July 8, the prosecutor’s office said.
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