SAN ANTONIO – More than three years after the remains of 18-month-old James Chairez were found, a trial date has yet to be set for his mother, who is charged in the case.
D’Lanny Chairez faces a charge of injury to a child – intentionally or knowingly causing serious bodily injury. Despite a scheduled court hearing on Friday, a trial date has still not been set in the case.
Marisol Benavidez, the toddler’s aunt, has been advocating for the case to move forward to trial.
Benavidez expressed her disappointment by saying, “I should feel more at peace, but I can’t because justice has not been served. It hurts all the time.”
She was the one who alerted the police in 2021 after not hearing from Chairez or her baby. Benavidez reported them missing because of Chairez’s statements about giving James away. Benavidez pleaded with Chairez to leave the child in her care.
Chairez was missing for three months until she was finally located and arrested in March 2021, but baby James was still missing. A month later, his remains were discovered under a mobile home where they resided, and the remains were identified as belonging to James.
A year later, Chairez received a five-year prison sentence as part of a plea deal on a tampering with evidence charge. On the same day, she was indicted on an injury to a child charge. However, there has been minimal progress in the case since then.
According to Benavidez, the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office stated they are still reviewing the case. They mentioned the possibility of a plea deal, which Benavidez opposes.
Benavidez stated, “I honestly believe that she should remain in jail for the rest of her life. James’ story deserves to be heard. We are losing too many children, and by accepting plea deals, their stories remain untold.”
She is prepared to take the risk of going to trial to ensure James’ story is heard. Benavidez wants the perpetrator to realize the severity of her actions and the impact they had on James’s life.
For now, Benavidez will patiently wait for justice to prevail for James. She emphasized, “Justice, to me, means recognizing her accountability and serving the appropriate sentence. That is true justice, and that is life for me.”
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