Case Details
- Photo URLs:
-
- Missing Since:
- Missing Since 09/07/2010
- Missing From:
- Missing From Memphis, Tennessee
- Classification:
- Classification Endangered Missing
- Gender:
- Female
- Race:
- Race Black
- Date of Birth:
- Date of Birth 11/24/2009 (15)
- Age:
- Age 9 months old
- Height and Weight:
- Height and Weight 1’9, 17 pounds
- Clothing/Jewelry Description:
- Clothing/Jewelry Description A brown onesie with a pink flower and pink dots.
- Distinguishing Characteristics:
- Distinguishing Characteristics African-American female. Black hair, brown eyes. Lauryn has a skin rash on both forearms and the inside of both knees.
- Details of Disappearance:
- Lauryn, a baby, disappeared from her Memphis home on September 7, 2010. Her mother, Shakara, claimed she gave Lauryn to a stranger – a white woman in her 40s with gray hair – who said she was a friend of Lauryn’s jailed father. Shakara didn’t get the woman’s name or contact information.
Shakara’s story was suspicious. She waited a week to report Lauryn missing, and in the meantime, she went out partying, bought new clothes, and changed a tattoo. Lauryn’s father said he didn’t send anyone to get Lauryn and hadn’t spoken to Shakara in days. Shakara also gave conflicting stories about Lauryn’s whereabouts.
Police dogs found evidence of human remains in Shakara’s apartment and car. Shakara was arrested and eventually charged with murder. A former cellmate testified that Shakara confessed to killing Lauryn. Shakara eventually pleaded guilty to manslaughter and other charges, admitting she smothered Lauryn because she was crying and stressed. She was sentenced to 19 years in prison. Lauryn’s body was never found.
- Agency:
- Memphis Police Department 901-545-2677
- Source Links:
This person was missing Missing Since 09/07/2010