Waterbury Police ID Mom Found Dead After Child Discovered Wandering Alone

WATERBURY, CT — Police have identified the city woman who was found dead after her child was discovered wandering alone last week.

Sgt. Joseph Morais said Thursday the woman’s name is Shawnakay Tara Francis.

As of Thursday, the 34-year-old woman’s cause of death was still under investigation, and police were still awaiting the results of a report from the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Francis’ body was found on Friday, Sept. 25, after police received a report of a 3-year-old girl wandering alone in the area of Poplar Street at 10:52 a.m.

The child showed no signs of either abuse or neglect, police said.

Officers went to a home on nearby Alder Street in an effort to contact the child’s mother. They entered the residence and found the child’s mother’s body inside. According to police, the woman “showed signs of being deceased for a period of time.”

Investigators did not observe any obvious signs of foul play, according to police. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Waterbury Police Detective Bureau at 203-574-6941 or the anonymous Crime Stoppers tip line at 203-755-1234.

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Wandering Child In Waterbury Leads To Discovery Of Deceased Mother: PD