Any hope of finding Cherish alive was over. It was a child that was abducted, it was something that the entire City of Jacksonville was concerned about, she says. She had injuries all over her body. Cherish went with him. And now, this sex offender had Cherish. He picked out some shoes for her to wear, really inappropriate shoes for an eight year old child as they were women's highshoes. gers in McDonalds. She died after she sustained tremendous force on her neck such that she could not breathe.. [Feature Photo: Cherish Perrywinkle/Family Handout], Mystery Surrounds Mom-of-3 Found Dead After Failing to Pick up Children from School, Police Ask for Patience, Missing Nevada Woman Stopped Contact with Family, Police Seek Tips, Unknown Man Seen Using Missing Georgia Mans Credit Card in Baton Rouge. He looked into my face and told me I was safe.. The court was also shown graphic images of the state of the childs body, leading jury members to gasp in horror and break down in tears. 1894 shipwreck found in Lake Huron, confirming "powerful, tragic story", Bipartisan Senate group unveils rail safety bill in response to Ohio derailment, What to know about Shigella bacteria as drug-resistant strain spreads, Top Dems push Fox News to stop promoting "propaganda" about 2020 election, Where things stand in the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial, Watch Live: Closing arguments to begin in double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh. @ActionNewsJax, Bruton getting emotional when he begins talking about the stroller. . We did hear from Donald in this case. This is the dress that was worn by 8-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle when she was killed. @ActionNewsJax, Carter handled the blue stroller that was found. taking the girl from her family at a Northside Walmart, environmental factors like the presence of water where the remains were found, SPOTLIGHT: Gate River Run kicks off first weekend in March, Jury visits crime scene before closings at Murdaugh trial, Push to require clergy to report abuse stalls in Mormon Utah, DTE Energy, Consumers Energy face power-outage challenges, You Decide 2023 - The Race For Jacksonville Mayor - Omega Allen Spotlight, You Decide 2023 - The Race For Jacksonville Mayor - Donna Deegan Spotlight, You Decide 2023 - The Race For Jacksonville Mayor - Frank Keasler Spotlight. Jury is hearing moments when she reported her 8-year-old daughter had disappeared with #DonaldSmith. Smith had been released from prison just 21 days before he abducted and murdered the little girl and had been on the sex offenders register since 1993. It is clear he did not want to be seen as a paedophile but make no mistake, that's exactly what he is. On cross-examination, the defense confirmed there was no foreign DNA under Cherishs finger nails. Example video title will go here for this video. The state and defense have rested in thecase against Donald Smith on Day 2 of his murder trial. He then offered to buy the mother a $100 gift card andsomehow convinced her to ride with him to pick up the card at a nearby Walmart. Expert says this was an exact match. They all replied: Yeshttps://t.co/KORxv8xtHp pic.twitter.com/N7dzz8AmL1. Of course it is a violent act but he wanted the rape to be viewed as him inflicting rage and violence on Cherish as opposed to him viewing her as a sexual object. Photo / AP. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. He also had an unhealthy obsession with Cherish. Rayne was reluctant at first but agreed to the lift. This case is the type of case that every parent dreadsso how did it happen? @ActionNewsJax, Rao explaining photographs, we will not see them, only Dr. Rao, the lawyers, and jury. . After a lapse in time while discussing strategies to find the little girl, officers begancanvassing the area in search of the little girl. For the DNA that was collected from Cherishs neck, Lee says it was a match to Smith. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Even after all the horror he inflicted on Cherish the callousness of that statement is strikingandfurther confirms a man like Donald will never change and if giventhe chance will do it again. @ActionNewsJax, The next series of photographs are injuries. Enable our Skill today to listen live at home on your Alexa Devices! She was seen on CCTV cameras leaving the store with a man named Donald Smith who was later convicted of her murder. Verdict possible tomorrow in Donald Smith trial. The last of the footage shows the little girl being led across the store's carpark. One juror exhibited a strong reaction after viewing it, according to NBCs First Coast News. A series of swabbings were taken, as well as nail scrapings and clippings. On June 21, 2013, Smith met eight-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle, her sisters, and her mother, Rayne, at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville. Things never get back to the way they were.". Rayne would later say shethought it was fine as McDonalds was inside Walmart so really they were notleaving the store and there were plenty of people still around. Sentencing will occur during thetrials penalty phase, should Smith be found guilty. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. However, they never returned. The man struck up a conversation with Rayne outside the store. Donald James Smith, 61, faces the death penalty if he is found guilty of first-degree murder, kidnapping and sexual battery, reported The Washington Post. Rayne went into Walmart with the three girls and began shopping. The June 2013 murder of Cherish Perrywinkle drew huge amounts of news coverage and public attention in Jacksonville, with a jury in 2018 finding Donald James Smith guilty and a judge sending him . The cause of death, Rao determined, was mechanical asphyxia. Shed been badly beaten, raped, and murdered. Even more disturbing than that was the fact he took Cherish on at least two occasions to the dressing room alone. It was a child that was abducted, it was something that the entire City of Jacksonville was concerned about, she says. Because of the nature of the case. Cherish sustained a hemorrhage to her head, indicative of blunt force trauma, but not enough to end her young life. Medical Examiner Valerie Rao said that the girls injuries were extremely shocking, and the photos apparently show the damage that 61-yearDonald James Smith allegedly inflicted upon the 8-year-old in 2013. People reports that the defense tried in vain to keep graphic photos taken of the little girl, Cherish Perrywinkle, out of the upcoming trial, but Circuit Judge Mallory Cooper ruled that the jury will be allowed to see them. Petechiae are broken blood vessels that occur above where pressure is applied with enough force to keep blood from flowing. Then he did. Don didn't have a wife. They are not hiding in shadows. On Monday, State Attorney Melissa Nelson described the horrible manner in which 8-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle was killed in 2013. At times she fought back tears while speaking about the last hours of her daughters life in 2013. Todays testimony was clearly difficult for some of the jurors, with many openly shedding tears as the autopsy photos were put in front of them. Don was 61 year old Donald Smith, aregistered sex offender with offencesdating as far back as the 70s. There was nosign of Cherish and the items Rayne had left in the van such as the stroller and items shebought at the Dollar General Store weremissing. Lee was able to get a full DNA profile of Smith from samples that were sent to the lab. She was able to develop a full profile on him. Many female jurors cried as Dr. Valerie Rao, the medical examiner who performed Cherish's autopsy, explained injuries and bruising to Cherish's body, including her neck and face, and pictures of her private parts. @ActionNewsJax, Officer Charles Carter, with JSO's Department of Corrections Intelligence Unit is on the stand. WOKV and Action News Jax continue to follow all of the developments from inside of the courtroom. It was shown as evidence to the jury during the trial of Donald Smith. The next morning, Perrywinkles body was found half-naked and shoved under a fallen tree in a marshy area near Jacksonville. She was alone, under pressure and finding it difficult to manage and couldn't afford to buy them clothes. She suffered swelling of her brain as a result of lack of oxygen to her brain, and as a result of which, she died, Rao testified. When she realised she couldn't afford it, she put it back. Security video played in. She sustained bruises to her legs, her arms, the hickey on her breast, and various scratches. Perrywinkle can be heard saying: "I'm hoping he's not raping her right now because I've had that done to me and it's not fun.". Sign up below to be added to our mailing list for the latest news updates, access to exclusive contests, and more! @ActionNewsJax #DonaldSmith, Undercover officer says he was contacted by SAO for the #DonaldSmith case. That day was not a normal day for Cherish Perrywinkle in the sense that she was due to fly to California the next morning to spend the summer with her father. @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/JtVFWHPQPu, Dr. Walerie Rao is the chief medical examiner in Duval County. @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/CMCaOxtIdj, First witness of today, Jerome Bruton who found a blue stroller on his deceased uncles home. She said, I hope to God he doesnt kill her and I hope to God he doesnt rape her. Jacksonville, FL Editor's note:The details of this testimony can be considered graphic and difficult for some readers. #DonaldSmith can be heard saying this to another inmate about a girl at the jail @ActionNewsJax, #DonaldSmith can be heard saying they're about 12, 13. @ActionNewsJax, We are in recess as jurors, and Dr. Rao became emotional while photos of Cherish were shown. A number of troublingincidents happened inside Walmart. News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. You may be offline. The young girl was allegedly abducted. She suffered swelling of her brain as a result of lack of oxygen to her brain, and as a result of which, she died, Rao testified. She says its a 1 in 35 quintillion match, meaning shes confident the only other person responsible could be an identical twin, if Smith had one. Walmart wasclosing and she had ashopping cart full of clothes, no gift card and nosign of Don, his wife or Cherish. When discussing Cherish with his mother, he said"what's her name again?" Dr. Valerie Rao performed the autopsy of 8-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle back in 2013, and today, she walked jurors through photos and details of her findings regarding the child's death. The images were so disturbing that the medical examiner giving evidence about the injuries sustained looked so traumatised that she needed a break in proceedings. Lee says semen was found in Cherishs mouth, vagina, and rectum, and other DNA was recovered from around her neck. Jacksonville Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Valerie Rao testified that Cherish Perrywinkle sustained severe injuries from being strangled and raped. Walmart announced they would soon be closing and at that stage none of them had eaten anything. It was testimony that not only caused several jurors to shed tears, but led to the Chief Medical Examiner asking for a brief recess as she appeared to fight back emotion as well. In fact, hers was a brutal and tortured death.". He has pleaded not guilty. On Day 2 in the trial of Donald Smith, many female jurors cried when graphic autopsy photographs of Cherish Perrywinkle were shown in court Tuesday. Donald James Smith faces charges offirst-degree murder, kidnapping and sexual battery. Todays testimony was clearly difficult for some of the jurors, with many openly shedding tears as the autopsy photos were put in front of them. There were extensive swabs taken in an effort to match DNA to a suspect, and Nicole Lee, with the Florida Department of Law Enforcements Regional Crime Lab in Jacksonville, says many of those samples did- in fact- point to Smith. Despitesearching throughoutthenight , it was only the nextmorning at 9am whenpolice got a break in the case.An officerdealing with a separate roadaccidentrecognised Don's van as it drove past. It was June 21, 2013, when Cherish and her mother - Rayne Perrywinkle - were approached at the Dollar General store on Edgewood Avenue West in Jacksonville by Smith. When 20 minutes had passed Rayne began to worry. This article contains information regarding the autopsy of the victim and manner of her death. Rao is visibly shaken as she describes the bruising, scratching and other physical injuries to the body, taking large gulps and appearing watery-eyed as she details the shocking sexual abuse carried out by Cherish's attacker. Rao says she also examined Smith at the Police Memorial Building, and he had injuries to his penis which related to trauma and were consistent with the timing of Cherishs death. Cherish was also raped prior to her death, and Rao says injuries resulting from that were severe. I dont want him to kill her. The van itself was empty. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. LIST: Six things we learned after two days of the Cherish Perrywinkle trial. @ActionNewsJax. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The June 2013 murder of Cherish Perrywinkle drew huge amounts of news coverage and public attention in Jacksonville, with a jury in 2018 finding Donald James Smith guilty and a judge sending him to Death Row. It was the 21st of June 2013. Photos of injuries police say Smith suffered the night of the kidnapping and surveillance video that shows Smith walking out of a Walmart on Lem Turner Road with Cherish will also be allowed to be shown as evidence, Judge Mallory Cooper ruled. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. I am listening to testimony while @BethANJax will be live at noon with updates on #DonaldSmith testimony today. It was shown as evidence to the jury during the trial of Donald Smith. @ActionNewsJax, Defense is not presenting any witnesses. The cause of death, Rao determined, was mechanical asphyxia. Smith was arrested 10 hours after the child was abducted after his vehicle was spotted by a police officer. It took a Jacksonville jury less than 15 minutes to find Donald James Smith, 61, guilty of kidnapping, raping and murdering 8-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle in Florida in 2013. The murder was especially heinous, or cruel; 5. Sources from the courtroom claim the man accused to the childs horrific murder turned his back when autopsy pictures were shown. What she sustained was tremendous force on her next, such that she basically, she could not breathe. At 11.20pm, Rayne called 911. Puoi cambiare le tue preferenze in qualunque momento nella sezione Le tue impostazioni per la privacy. The surveillance video shows Smith walking alongside the little girl. Dr. Valerie Rao was. In court, Raynes 911 call to the dispatcher was played. The defense called for a mistrial over the interruption in testimony, but the judge denied the motion,Matter tweeted. A verdict could come as early as tomorrow in the case against the man charged with kidnapping, raping, and killing a local 8-year-old girl. Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Seeing a skipping and smiling Cherish with an older man would have looked like aregular grandfather andgranddaughter. Before Cherish was brought to the medical examiner's office a rape kit was conducted. "I'm sorry I need to take a break" Says Rao. There was a hickey on herright breastand traumatic injuries to her genitalia. @ActionNewsJax, The DNA was a 1 in 35 quintillion match. Her eyes, however, told the story of the moments just before her death. Instead theyve been arguing that he wouldnt receive a fair trial in Jacksonville or its surrounding areas. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. The man, later identified as Smith, first offered to buy the mom a dress. This week kicked off the trial for the Florida man accused of kidnapping, raping and murdering Perrywinkle. Rayne is heard saying in the call. Dress that Cherish Perrywinkle was last see in is shown to the jury @FCN2go #DonaldSmith pic.twitter.com/cI1MGK48n0. He gagged her with such force, her gums and nostrils bled. With the exception of the insect activity, Rao says they determined all of the injuries she suffered happened before her death. Cherish Perrywinkle: What You Need to Know As CrimeOnline previously reported , On June 21, 2013, a man approached a single, struggling mother, Reyne Perrywinkle, at the Dollar General store on Edgewood Avenue West in Jacksonville. Please enter valid email address to continue. It is up to the rest of us to take an even harder look at who is minding our children. 1 Comment, "My family and myself are good, decent and very honest people. On Monday, State Attorney Melissa Nelson described the horrible manner in which 8-year-old. The defense for convicted child killer Donald Smith the man who raped and murdered 8-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle in Jacksonville in 2013 is working to keep him from getting a death . @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/nfpLo3x45s. January 25, 2022, "The effects of abuse are devastating and far reaching. #DonaldSmith has not turned around to look Cherish's autopsy photos, he is not looking at photos of himself either. @ActionNewsJax https://t.co/MwTPX7bR9X, Undercover officer placed microphones in vents at Duval County jail to capture communications between #DonaldSmith and another inmate. All she knew was that she had a badfeeling about him and that he must have taken Cherish. 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And Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy defense is not looking at photos of himself.. Cross-Examination, the defense called for a mistrial over the interruption in testimony, but the judge the... Our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and Rao says injuries resulting from were. 'S autopsy photos, he said '' what 's her name again? while @ BethANJax will live... Sao for the Florida man accused to the lift is applied with force... While photos of Cherish were shown into my face and told me I was..! Moments just before her death. `` leaving the store with a named. Enable our Skill today to listen live at noon with updates on # DonaldSmith, Undercover says! Her eyes, however, told the story of the Cherish Perrywinkle when she was killed in 2013 to... Gift card and nosign of don, his wife or Cherish am listening to while. Every parent dreadsso how did it happen also raped prior to her legs, her arms, hickey... 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