A woman has been charged in the death of her 3-year-old child in Howard County, police said.

Shalyne Brown, 27, is charged with second-degree murder and first- and second-degree child abuse.

Police said Brown had no permanent address but was staying at a Columbia residence at the time of the child’s death on Nov. 1, 2024.

Upon being called to the home for the deceased child, officers found the child with bruises and scars.

An autopsy was completed in March 2025, which determined the cause of death was homicide by dehydration and malnourishment.

Brown was arrested in Pennsylvania and extradited to Howard County, where she is being held without bond.

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