Mother charged with murder of 6-month-old found dead in Charlotte cemetery

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Police have charged a mother with the murder of her 6-month-old son who was found dead in a Charlotte cemetery in February.

CMPD detectives have charged 30-year-old Tamara Jernel Brown with murder in the death of 6-month-old Chi-Liam Cody Brown-Erickson.

Information and evidence gathered by homicide detectives during the course of the investigation led them in identifying Brown as a suspect in the case and a warrant was obtained for her arrest.

On Friday, detectives arrested Brown and charged with her with murder.

On the morning of Feb. 22, the search for missing Chi-Liam ended tragically when officers found his dead body at the Sharon Memorial Park cemetery in southeast Charlotte.

The Matthews Police Department said Chi-Liam and his mother had been missing from the Gander Cove Lane area of Matthews since about 10:00 p.m. on Feb. 20.

Officers from the Matthews Police Department, CMPD and the Union County Sheriff’s Bloodhound Unit searched desperately in hopes they’d find the child safe. That effort ended when they found Chi-Liam’s body in the cemetery off Monroe Road just after 4 a.m.

Police reported Tamara Brown was previously arrested near Galleria Boulevard on the night of Feb. 21 for common law robbery and two counts of assault on a government official. According to the police report, she stole a man’s iphone and spit and bit CMPD officers. She was not in court Monday because she was transferred to IVC, or involuntary commitment.

Prior to the Feb. 21 arrest, police said she may be suffering from a mental health disability and was last seen walking in uptown Charlotte..

Police say Chi-Liam Brown-Erickson was not with his mother when they arrested her in February. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety reported after the 30-year-old mother was located she refused “to state where the child is located.”

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call 704-432-TIPS and speak directly to a Homicide Unit Detective. The public can also call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or visit the Crime Stoppers website at http://charlottecrimestoppers.com/.

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