Mother Charged With Murder In Daughter’s Death

The mother of a three-year-old girl, found dead in a home in Scarborough will be appearing in court Tuesday, on second-degree murder charges. 

Toronto Police identified the tot as Keayanna Chambers, who was pronounced dead at the scene at 16 Ulysses Place in Scarborough just after 1pm Friday. Police found the child after responding to two 911 calls from the home.

Thirty-two-year-old Charlene Chambers already made a brief downtown court appearance Saturday on a murder count.

An autopsy conducted Sunday revealed the cause of death was pressure to the neck and chest and it’s said the child’s body showed visible signs of trauma.

Shocked neighbours said the mom and daughter moved into the split-level home near Midland and Finch about three months ago, but the two were rarely seen. Police say she was unemployed.

“The little girl was so cute. She always used to wave and say hi,” recalled one neighbour. “But the mother never said anything. It’s awful. She was too young for that.”

Grief-stricken family members gathered outside the home Saturday, some visibly overcome with anguish. Police also updated and released the autopsy findings Sunday.

“These kinds of cases are very sensitive. They’re a tragedy to the families involved. They’ve not only lost a young member of their family but they’ve also lost the mother of that child to the judicial system,” said Toronto Police Det. Chris Buck.

“Any case involving a young child is certainly troubling, but we need to look at these cases objectively and move forward.”