. He gagged her, raped her, he sodomized her, then he strangled her. For the DNA that was collected from Cherishs neck, Lee says it was a match to Smith. They all replied: Yeshttps://t.co/KORxv8xtHp pic.twitter.com/N7dzz8AmL1. She spent around 20 minutessearching Walmart, McDonalds and the car park. The shopping trip was very focused around the girls and Rayne stayed with them in the children's section. 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. Smith's team argued that the pictures' unduly 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. 2023 Cox Media Group. @ActionNewsJax, Defense moves for judgement of acquittal. The suspects criminal record dated back to 1977. Her eyes, however, told the story of the moments just before her death. During the trial, Cherish's injuries were described and shown to the jury. / CBS/AP. In court, Raynes 911 call to the dispatcher was played. Smith was arrested 10 hours after the child was abducted after his vehicle was spotted by a police officer. ", Even the state attorney and Medical Examiner seem to be getting caught by the enormity of the emotion. When 20 minutes had passed Rayne began to worry. It was left there for a week. On Monday, State Attorney Melissa Nelson described the horrible manner in which 8-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle was killed in 2013. gs,washing her hair and shewanted to buy her some new clothes. Multiple jurors also cried, covered their mouths and turned away as the graphic photos were shown, CBS affiliate WJAX's Bridgette Matter reported via Twitter. I already know hes going to rape her.. 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. Cherish Perrywinkle was abducted from a Florida Walmart before being sexually assaulted and strangled until her eyes bled by a man who convinced her he was just a Good Samaritan. Donald Smith was standing trial on charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping and sexual battery. 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. @ActionNewsJax, Multiple women on the jury crying as more photos are shown. @ActionNewsJax, The next series of photographs are injuries. As CrimeOnline previously reported,OnJune 21, 2013,a man approached a single, struggling mother,Reyne Perrywinkle, at the Dollar General store onEdgewood Avenue West in Jacksonville. She had a gutfeeling from the very moment she met Donald that something wasn't right but she pushed it to one side and tried to convince herself that a trip to Walmart would be worth it. Theyare in our work places, our friendship groups and sometimes even our homes. Tremendous force on her neck, such that she basically she could not breathe, she suffered swelling to her brain, as result of lack of oxygen to her brain," she died. DNA other than Cherishs could not be detected in the oral swab. Lee is now explaining the analysis she did of #DonaldSmith's DNA. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Rao could not determine what exactly was used, but she determined the bruise pattern was wide, and generally consistent with an article of clothing, like a t-shirt. Petechiae are broken blood vessels that occur above where pressure is applied with enough force to keep blood from flowing. It was the last time 8-year-old Cherish was seen alive. Swabs were also taken of her breasts, one of which had visible signs of a hickey, according to Rao. Not only was there CCTV of Donald leaving Walmart with Cherish, there was evidence of his arrest while still wet and a witness who saw his van parked near to where Cherish's body had been found. #DonaldSmith pic.twitter.com/khubusMeBl. Eight-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle's body told the tale of her suffering before she was finally strangled to death. Around three hundred potential jurors filed into the Jacksonville courtroom this week, where they were shown an up-close photo of a little girl with big brown eyes. The next day, the full autopsy was performed. All she knew was that she had a badfeeling about him and that he must have taken Cherish. Looking at her genital area and her anal area, she had so much trauma, the anatomy was totally distorted by the injury that she sustained both to her vaginal area and her anus, Rao testified. Cherish had been strangled with such force that her eyeballs bled-the blood vessels burst in her throat, face and eyes. 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. Smith was arrested 10 hours later after his vehicle was spotted by a police patrol officer. It took a jury just 14 minutes to find Smith guilty, after enduring countless graphic images of the 8-year-old victim's battered body, often leaving them in tears. I need just 5 minutes.". 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. The force used during the strangulation was so strong that Cherish suffered skin abrasions as well. The court had to recess for 10 minutes and before attorneys, Rao, and the media were asked to leave the room Donald Smith's attorney asked for a mistrial on the grounds of her breakdown. Walmart wasclosing and she had ashopping cart full of clothes, no gift card and nosign of Don, his wife or Cherish. Smith can be heard in the recording saying they're about 12 or13 years old. Eight-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle's body told the tale of her suffering before she was finally strangled to death. During that time the man introduced himself as Don to Rayne. The Prosecutor in the case said Donald had tore her apart, that's how brutal the injuries were. So in reality she didn't have a lot of money to buy Cherish new clothes for her trip. On June 21, 2013, eight-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle of Jacksonville, Florida, was abducted from her neighborhood Walmart while shopping with her mother and a stranger who offered to buy them clothes. The van itself was empty. She testified that he believed him. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. LIST: Six things we learned after two days of the Cherish Perrywinkle trial. . On cross-examination, the defense confirmed there was no foreign DNA under Cherishs finger nails. Suffered swelling in her brain. So on that day, the 21st of June, Rayne wasgettingCherish ready for her trip-things like packing herbags,washing her hair and shewanted to buy her some new clothes. Smith had prior arrests for sex crimes in 1977, 1992, and 2009. . She had injuries all over her body. @ActionNewsJax, Donald Smith is wearing a yellow shirt and tie today. He suggested getting food at the McDonalds inside the store and asked for Cherishto accompany him and pick out the food she wanted. Donald put forward no defense and called no witnesses so it was hardly a surprise that it took the Jury less than 15 minutes to find him guilty of the kidnap, sexual battery and first degree murder of Cherish. Her mother told police Smith offered to buy the family food from a McDonald's inside the store and Cherish followed Smith to get the food. While preparing to bring out photos taken during that autopsy, State Attorney Melissa Nelson questioned- and Rao confirmed- that they limited the amount of photos they would show, to those which would assist Raos testimony. A recording was played for the jury. This case is the type of case that every parent dreadsso how did it happen? I don't understand why he would leave right now unless he's going to rape her and kill her. 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. Donald saw an opportunity that day when he saw Rayne with her three girls. I am listening to testimony while @BethANJax will be live at noon with updates on #DonaldSmith testimony today. In secret jailhouse videos, Donald Smith blames 8-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle for her murder, schemes with his mother to fake a mental illness and gloats about his rank among the world's most. 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 . There were many areas of injury uncovered during the testimony, from scrapes and bruises that Rao believes were the result of Cherish being transported to where her body was found, to ant bites that happened after her death. The evidence, some of it. Closing arguments are scheduled to begin at 9:15 a.m. Wednesday. #DonaldSmith @FCN2go pic.twitter.com/yQKIvhBhIy, Yes, Florida has the most affordable 4 year college tuition in the country, Man who pulled trigger in murder of Jacksonville 13-year-old arrested, sheriff says, Weather is 95% favorable for a liftoff tonight, but teams are keeping an eye on weather along Dragons ascent corridor, Local Weather: Day 9 of 80-plus degree afternoons; much-needed rain by late Friday into Saturday, RELATED | Jury hears recordings of Donald Smith from jail about young girls: 'That's right up my alley'. He used that to his advantage and lured them to a second location to buy time so that he could take Cherish in a manner that would not attracta lot of attention and that's exactly what happened. ", The inmate asked Smithif "Cherish had a butt on her. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Action News Jax facebook feed(Opens a new window), Action News Jax twitter feed(Opens a new window), Action News Jax youtube feed(Opens a new window), Six things we learned after two days of the Cherish Perrywinkle trial, Cherish's mothersays she never would have knowingly let girl leave with suspect, JSO officers responding to Cherish'smurder: 'Protect her, preserve the evidence'. His DNA was found on and inside Cherish's body and Cherish's DNA was found on his penis. Enable our Skill today to listen live at home on your Alexa Devices! Wherever Cherish was, it involved water. @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/CMCaOxtIdj, First witness of today, Jerome Bruton who found a blue stroller on his deceased uncles home. 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. Expert says this was an exact match. Security video played in. Rao was discussing the heinous murder of Cherish Perrywinkle, a little girl who was lured away from her mother while out shopping before being found dead just hours later in June, 2013. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. BEFORE a jury found Donald Smith guilty of the first degree murder of Cherish Perrywinkle, the man dubbed the "Walmart Monster" made a creepy request. #DonaldSmith #CherishPerrywinkle, Two women cover their mouth as next photo is shown. The court documents stated that the single mother agreed to both. The mother said she hoped very much that his intentions were genuine and that he just wanted to help. There were many areas of injury uncovered during the testimony, from scrapes and bruises that Rao believes were the result of Cherish being transported to where her body was found, to ant bites that happened after her death. News.com.au has viewed Rao's horrifying testimony. DAY 1:JSO officers responding to Cherish'smurder: 'Protect her, preserve the evidence'. Rao says she actually went out to the scene where Cherish was recovered. Rayne was reluctant at first but agreed to the lift. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. Her injuries revealed defensive wounds which showed this little 67lbs 8 year old girl fou ght for her life but she was no match for the monster who had kidnapped her. LIVE STREAM: Click the video feed below for live video updates from court: NOTE: At certain times, the audio will be muted to protect the identity of undercover police officers. Smith, now 64, was accused of murdering Cherish Perrywinkle after a series of events that began when he met her mother, Rayne Perrywinkle, at a Dollar General store. People at Walmart would not have been concerned either. (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.12'; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Posted by In Loving Memory of Angels onTuesday, January 31, 2017. There was nosign of Don or Cherish. Shed been badly beaten, raped, and murdered. After a lapse in time while discussing strategies to find the little girl, officers begancanvassing the area in search of the little girl. @ActionNewsJax, Carter says he collected purple flip flops as evidence. In fact, hers was a brutal and tortured death.". At around 7.30pm thatevening, Rayne took Cherish and her two sisters to the DollarGeneralStore on Edgewood Avenue. "I'm sorry, I need to take a break. ", Sign up to get the latest true crime stories, new product releases and more, Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more . Dr. Wu said that Smith was just 9 when he suffered a traumatic brain injury (or TBI). Her injuries were inflicted before she died. Cherish's mother later told police she was struggling to buy clothes for her daughters when Smith overheard and offered to buy them for her. Smith, the man accused of the 2013 kidnapping, rape, and murder of 8-year-old Cherish. It is up to the rest of us to take an even harder look at who is minding our children. Sign up below to be added to our mailing list for the latest news updates, access to exclusive contests, and more! He strangled her with such force her eyeballs bled, Nelson said. DAY 1: Cherish's mothersays she never would have knowingly let girl leave with suspect @ActionNewsJax, Dr. Rao had to also photograph Donald Smith @ActionNewsJax, While photos of Cherish's private parts were shown, Dr. Rao explained there was only a thin layer of tissue between the two areas. 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 Cherishs body was brought to the Medical Examiners Office, Rao says the conducted a sexual assault kit, where a lot of evidence was collected. @ActionNewsJax, Detective explains a confidential informant said #DonaldSmith was speaking to another inmate using air vents at the jail @ActionNewsJax, DNA expert says the DNA found on Cherish matches #DonaldSmith @ActionNewsJax, Lee is explaining to the jury #DonaldSmith DNA profile. They are not hiding in shadows. I need just 5 minutes @FCN2go #donaldSmith. Check back with CrimeOnline as we provide upcoming trial coverage. Jury asked to be back tomorrow at 9:15. #CherishPerrywinkle pic.twitter.com/OtiXxh3qm7. Dr. Valerie Rao was. We are in recess as jurors, and Dr. Rao became emotional while photos of Cherish were shown. February 13, 2018 / 12:38 PM 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. Her body was found in the water , weighted down by bricks and debris and under a tree. Don was 61 year old Donald Smith, aregistered sex offender with offencesdating as far back as the 70s. 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. That's the only reason.". 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. She died after she sustained tremendous force on her neck such that she could not breathe.. She sustained bruises to her legs, her arms, the hickey on her breast, and various scratches. taking the girl from her family at a Northside Walmart, environmental factors like the presence of water where the remains were found, Florida Senator proposes bill to cancel Democratic Party in state, Georgia star Jalen Carter charged with racing in fatal wreck, Bartram Trail High School girls lacrosse player denied NIL opportunity, PCSO: No charges in case of mail carrier mauled by 5 dogs, Airport Authority discusses bringing new commercial flights to St. Johns County. Devastating footage was released during the trial last year showing the moment the young girl was approached while out with her mother and sisters. The same potential juror indicated she wassqueamish about looking at gory photos, while another possible teared up and said she would lose it during a trial involving crimes against a child. At 11.20pm, Rayne called 911. 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. Lee says not being able to detect foreign DNA, or not being able to assemble a full profile, can happen for several reasons, including environmental factors like the presence of water where the remains were found. A full profile could not be performed from the vaginal swab, however Smith was not excluded by the results, and Lee testified that- in all- there was still an almost non-existent chance it was anyone other than Smith. On June 21, 2013, Smith met eight-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle, her sisters, and her mother, Rayne, at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville. Take a break car park when he saw Rayne with her mother and.! Cherishs neck, Lee says it was a match to Smith murder, kidnapping sexual. 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