The body discovered encased in concrete inside a refrigerator at a Northeast D.C. apartment complex has been identified as a 44-year-old housing advocate.
Chandra Brown will always be cherished for her exceptional skills as a writer and poet.
“My baby is gone,” expressed Sheila Brown, Chandra’s mother, with deep sorrow.
Brown, who lives in North Carolina, claims she and her daughter communicated on the phone regularly until May 2023, after which they stopped talking.
As she talked about her daughter, a wave of emotions washed over her.
“She shaped me into the mother I am today,” she expressed, reflecting on her daughter’s impact.
Brown affectionately referred to her daughter as a radiant beam of light, who, even in her early years, displayed a remarkable talent for writing and poetry, a passion that would accompany her throughout her entire life.
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“She said that there are books of her work spread throughout the United States that we don’t have access to, showcasing her brilliant writing.”
On October 18, authorities found Chandra Brown’s body close to an apartment building in Northeast, but it’s unclear how she got there.
Police responded to an incident at the 4300 block of Brooks Street NE following the discovery made by construction workers who detected a peculiar odor, as reported by News4. In a dumpster designated for construction debris, the workers stumbled upon a refrigerator containing the remains of Brown, which were preserved within a concrete casing.
According to neighbors, the refrigerator containing her remains was from a third-floor flat in the mostly empty building.
The District of Columbia Medical Examiner has not yet determined the actual cause of Brown’s death.
‘She always wanted to help the homeless people’
Chandra Brown graduated from the District’s Dunbar High School, trained as a nurse assistant, and has three children. However, things became difficult for her, and after a few years, her children moved to live with family in North Carolina, leaving Chandra homeless in the District.
“She always had a strong desire to help the homeless,” Sheila Brown explained. “There was something that attracted her to them. I’m not exactly sure what caused this change in her life.”
It was her daughter’s compassion that she believes led to a heartwarming moment in 2021. The incident was captured by TV cameras and shared on social media. It happened during the dedication of a new park in Franklin Square downtown. The park was built on the site of a former homeless encampment.
Chandra Brown expressed her frustration with the administration of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser by standing up and giving her the middle finger. In an interview with Street Sense, she conveyed her discontentment.
