Louisiana mom faces murder charge in 5-year-old daughter's death; son also died 3 months ago

ALEXANDRIA, La. — A Louisiana mother whose 5-year-old daughter suffered a fatal neck injury last week now faces a second-degree murder charge in the girl's death, police said.

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According to KALB-TV, police arrested Jasmine Anderson, 24, in Bunkie on Tuesday, six days after the Alexandria woman took her dead daughter to a hospital and claimed that the girl's neck had been hurt in a single-car crash, authorities said.

But investigators soon discovered holes in Anderson's story, the station reported.

"For several hours, officers attempted to locate the area where Anderson claimed the crash occurred; however, no evidence of any vehicle crash could be found," Alexandria police said in news release Tuesday. "The injury also did not seem consistent with what would occur during a crash."

The next day, police "located the scene where the incident took place, and evidence indicated it was not a vehicle crash as described by Anderson," the news release said. A medical examiner also determined that the girl, Audrey Chelette, died from a neck injury, authorities said.

Anderson, who was taken to the Avoyelles Parish Detention Center on Tuesday, will be transferred to the Rapides Parish Detention Center, police said.

Anderson's arrest came three months after the death of her 4-year-old son, Christopher "C.J." Dawayne Chelette, the Alexandria Town Talk reported. Anderson told officers that she found the boy unresponsive on the floor April 23, according to KALB. He reportedly died at the hospital later that week.

Christopher Dawayne "Critter" Chelette, the children's father, died three years ago, the Town Talk reported.

Police said it "would be premature to link this case to previous cases while it is still under investigation," according to KALB.

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