Woman charged with murder in connection with infant’s death

Chicago police said just before 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 26, a 2-month-old boy – later identified as Kayson Flowers – was found unresponsive inside a home in the 200 block of West 106th Street in Roseland.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported Kayla Flowers, Kayson’s mother, dropped Kayson off at his father’s home on April 19. The father returned Kayson to Kayla on April 28, and told her Kayson was asleep inside a stroller.

Kayla quickly realized Kayson was unresponsive. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to authorities.

Police were notified of the situation and began a death investigation while waiting for autopsy results. A few days later, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the infant as Kayson and ruled his death a homicide.

Detectives confirmed Kayson had been dead for six to eight hours before his mother picked him up. The Sun-Times reported his arms and legs were covered in bruises.

On Thursday, June 5, Chicago police announced officials with the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested 25-year-old Lauryn Shakespeare in connection with Kayson’s death.

Shakespeare was arrested Tuesday, June 3 at around 5:45 p.m. in the 100 block of North Ashland Avenue on the city’s Near West Side, according to investigators.

She has since been charged with two counts of murder.

The relationship between Shakespeare and Kayson is unclear at this time.