A Milwaukee woman charged after her 10-month-old daughter was found dead in a cardboard box inside her apartment has pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, and a court has ordered new competency reports on her. Shyanna Brothers, 28, is charged with hiding the corpse of a child following the August 2025 discovery of her daughter's body in an advanced state of decomposition.
The infant, identified as 10-month-old Rayne Taylor, was found dead in her Milwaukee apartment on August 13, 2025, after police responded to reports of a suspicious odor, according to WTMJ. Investigators located the child's body inside a box in a locked bedroom, and as Suggest reports, hundreds of flies and maggots were present at the scene by the time officers found her.
When officers first arrived at the apartment over the smell, Brothers reportedly claimed the odor was coming from old food, according to the same report from Suggest. She later told police, per that same account, that she had fled a domestic violence situation and that the child's father had killed the baby weeks earlier — an allegation that has not been confirmed by authorities.
Medical Examiner Found Signs of Blunt Force Trauma
An autopsy conducted by Assistant Medical Examiner Jessica Lelinski determined that the infant had sustained a frontal-parietal skull fracture consistent with blunt force trauma, according to a report circulated by Law & Crime. Brothers was formally charged with hiding the corpse of a child, a Class F felony under Wisconsin law that carries a maximum penalty of 12.5 years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000, per the same outlet.
During interview attempts following her arrest, Brothers reportedly had difficulty answering questions and made bizarre statements, the outlet reported.
What the Insanity Plea and Competency Order Actually Mean
Brothers has now pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, commonly known as an NGI plea.
The court has ordered new competency evaluations, according to the same La Crosse County filing.
Details of Brothers' Case
The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families says its annual report provides information on child protective services reports of child abuse and neglect for a calendar year. According to the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families' 2025 Annual Independent Monitoring Report, a total of 15,332 child protective service reports were received and three children were victims of maltreatment.
In May, prosecutors charged 31-year-old Tashae Goodman with reckless homicide, as Hoodline previously reported.
The Brothers case continues as the competency and insanity proceedings play out.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's WONDER database, its Underlying Cause of Death data contain mortality and population counts for all U.S. counties based on death certificates for U.S. residents.
