CHAMBERS COUNTY, Ala. (WRBL) – An east Alabama mother who once accused an Opelika daycare worker of abusing her child has now been arrested for Aggravated Child Abuse after a Chambers County Grand Jury returned an indictment this week.
Shanna Crowder was arrested by the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office and booked into the Chambers County Detention Facility. Her bond is set at $60,000.00.
The indictment alleges Crowder was abusing a child in her care who was under the age of six, by using exaggerated, false, or induced medical issues. The indictment is shared below.
State of Alabama, Chambers County Circuit Court, Fall Term, 2021
The Grand Jury of said county charges that before the finding of this Indictment, Shanna Crowder, alias, whose name is otherwise unknown to the Grand Jury, a responsible person, as defined in section 26-15 -2, having permanent or temporary care or custody or responsibility for the supervision of, to-wit: a child under the age of six (6)years old, to-wit: did willfully torture, willfully abuse, cruelly beat or otherwise maltreat, to-wit: exaggeration, fabricate and/or induce illness symptoms in a child, and the abuse took place on more than two occasions, in violation of section 26 -15 – 3.1 (b)(1)(a) of the Code of Alabama against the peace and dignity of the State of Alabama.
News 3 reached out to the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office for more details on the case. They issued the following statement:
On December 30th, 2020, the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office received a report of suspected child abuse. Chambers County Investigators conducted an investigation into the child abuse through what is commonly referred to as Munchausen Syndrome by proxy. On September 3, 2021, a Chambers County Grand Jury indicted Shanna Crowder for Aggravated Child Abuse of her two year old son. The indictment alleges that Crowder willfully maltreated a child under the age of six years old by exaggerating, fabricating, and/or inducing illness symptoms in said child on multiple occasions. Miss Crowder was arrested on the Indictment, Aggravated Child Abuse 1st Degree, on September 8, 2021, and taken to the Chambers County Detention Facility.
In December of 2018, Crowder accused Gladys Moore, a daycare worker at Greater Peace Child Development Center, of abusing her then three-year-old child. Moore was arrested after Crowder signed a warrant with the Opelika Police Department. In January of 2019, Moore was found not guilty of Assault 3rd Degree of a child in her care. Opelika Pastor Clifford Jones stood behind Gladys Moore during her arrest and trial. Pastor Jones shared this statement with WRBL News 3 shortly after Moore was found innocent.
“I was pleased to see Ms. Gladys exonerated and found not guilty of the assault charge in court. I have known Ms. Gladys for 15 or more years and witnessed her love and care for children at Greater Peace Child Development Center. Our mission of serving children and their families continues at the center,” said Pastor Jones.
News 3 contacted Pastor Jones again after Crowder’s arrest.
“This news saddens us. We are praying for the child involved, and everyone impacted. Our hope and prayers are also with Ms. Crowder as we desire to see her live a wholesome life,” said Pastor Jones.
News 3 is awaiting a potential statement from the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office regarding Crowder’s arrest. We will update this story as we can.
