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. For the DNA that was collected from Cherishs neck, Lee says it was a match to Smith. The evidence in this case was overwhelming. Jacksonville, FL Editor's note:The details of this testimony can be considered graphic and difficult for some readers. Cherish Perrywinkle CBS affiliate WTEV Smith allegedly lured Perrywinkle's family to Walmart in 2013 with promises to buy food and clothing, then left with the girl. Defense is looking for a mistrial because Rao asked for a break. @ActionNewsJax, Carter handled the blue stroller that was found. Per maggiori informazioni sulle modalit di utilizzo dei dati, consulta la nostra Informativa sulla privacy e lInformativa sui cookie. "Doctors are people too," said the State of Dr. Rao. She sustained bruises to her legs, her arms, the hickey on her breast, and various scratches. 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. He allegedly lured both mother and daughter by offering to buy them new clothes. The trial of Donald Smith, the man accused of raping, torturing, and killing eight-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle in 2013, began in a Florida court Monday. Road closed due to restricted area on William Ostner Rd both ways from Park Rd to New Berlin Rd. "That's right up my alley, right there, that's my target area," he's heard saying. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/MKEFKNzl74, Dr. Rao says Smith has injuries to his private area. The judge asked each juror "Is this your true and correct verdict?" 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. @ActionNewsJax. Police were familiar with Don. DNA other than Cherishs could not be detected in the oral swab. #DonaldSmith @ActionNewsJax, State asks no margin for error? 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. ON TV: Action News Jax will have the latest updates on CBS47 at 5, FOX30 at 10 and CBS47 at 11. Any hope of finding Cherish alive was over. Rao says she actually went out to the scene where Cherish was recovered. Eight-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle's body told the tale of her suffering before she was finally strangled to death. Because of the nature of the case. It was shown as evidence to the jury during the trial of Donald Smith. Puoi cambiare le tue preferenze in qualunque momento nella sezione Le tue impostazioni per la privacy. The mother said Smith noticed her struggling to pay for their items and that he lured them to a nearby Walmart under the false guise of being generous. So in reality she didn't have a lot of money to buy Cherish new clothes for her trip. 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. Rayne Perrywinkle, the victim's mother, also testified in court today. It's all part of the second day of the trial of Donald Smith, the man who's accused of taking the girl from her family at a Northside Walmart, raping her, and leaving her dead in brackish water near a church. Rayne went into Walmart with the three girls and began shopping. "I just need five minutes. On June 21, 2013, Smith met eight-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle, her sisters, and her mother, Rayne, at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville. Don wasn't interested in shopping for himself and in fact only added a bundle of rope to the shopping cart. January 25, 2022, "The effects of abuse are devastating and far reaching. Surveillance footage from Walmart shows Perrywinkle, wearing the same dress found near her body, walking out of the store with Smith, a registered sex offender. 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. Dr. Valerie Rao was. And now, this sex offender had Cherish. Donald saw an opportunity that day when he saw Rayne with her three girls. 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. 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. On June 21, 2013, Cherish Perrywinkle, 8, was abducted from a Jacksonville Walmart, raped and murdered by Donald James Smith, a sexual offender. 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. Her body was found in the water , weighted down by bricks and debris and under a tree. There was a hickey on herright breast. 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. Rao estimates it would have taken three to five minutes for the girl to die in this manner. [Photo: Florida Department of Law Enforcement]. Lee says semen was found in Cherishs mouth, vagina, and rectum, and other DNA was recovered from around her neck. When 20 minutes had passed Rayne began to worry. @ActionNewsJax, Rao explaining photographs, we will not see them, only Dr. Rao, the lawyers, and jury. Smith, the man accused of the 2013 kidnapping, rape, and murder of 8-year-old Cherish. Theyare in our work places, our friendship groups and sometimes even our homes. Lee says semen was found in Cherishs mouth, vagina, and rectum, and other DNA was recovered from around her neck. @ActionNewsJax, Carter says he collected purple flip flops as evidence. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. It was a twenty minute or so walk away. The force used during the strangulation was so strong that Cherish suffered skin abrasions as well. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Each attempt to look at where the virus started is swamped by misinformation. But the most extensive injuries were to her genitalia which was torn, swollen, clearly abused, and distorted. He also had an unhealthy obsession with Cherish. Cherish sustained a hemorrhage to her head, indicative of blunt force trauma, but not enough to end her young life. 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to take up an appeal in a high-profile case involving an 8-year-old Jacksonville girl who was abducted from a Walmart and raped and murdered. Large petechiae formed in her eyes from the force of strangling her to death. Smith told Rayne. Shed been badly beaten, raped, and murdered. A series of swabbings were taken, as well as nail scrapings and clippings. That something, . "Looking at her genital area and her anal area, she had so much trauma, the anatomy was totally. @ActionNewsJax, Perrywinkle was the 1,034 case that arrived at the medical examiners office. Dr Valerie Rao earlier broke down while giving evidence at the trial of Cherish's killer. The convicted murderer offered to buy Rayne a dress along with a $150 gift card. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. --A medical examiner who conducted the autopsy on an 8-year-old Florida girl who was abducted, raped and murderedbecame emotional and had to interrupt her testimony at the trial of the man accused of the crime. @ActionNewsJax https://t.co/MwTPX7bR9X, Undercover officer placed microphones in vents at Duval County jail to capture communications between #DonaldSmith and another inmate. @ActionNewsJax #DonaldSmith, Lee says semen positive in rectal swab samples. 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. Road closed due to construction work on Channel View Blvd both ways from Blount Island Blvd to Reef Run Rd. Here we have two people who are in a struggle. Lee was able to get a full DNA profile of Smith from samples that were sent to the lab. @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/nnTMgN1vnC, FDLE DNA Expert is on the stand right now. @ActionNewsJax, The DNA was a 1 in 35 quintillion match. @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/3E0kGk8lpB, State says it is difficult for even professionals to stay composed. Yahoo fa parte della famiglia di brand di Yahoo. 1 Comment, "My family and myself are good, decent and very honest people. Powered by Shopify. That same man waited for Rayne outside the store. @ActionNewsJax, Inmate asks if "Cherish had a butt on her." @ActionNewsJax, Next photos of Cherish's neck are shown. 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. Donald James Smith has been found guilty of the murder and rape of Cherish Perrywinkle. Shortly the recording from the jail will be played. @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. She said that Smith had been hovering around her and her three children while they shopped at Family Dollar earlier in the day. Jury is hearing moments when she reported her 8-year-old daughter had disappeared with #DonaldSmith. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. 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. That's the only reason.". During that time the man introduced himself as Don to Rayne. Don wasarrested. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! During the testimony, Rao became emotional and asked to take a break, seemingly overwhelmed by the photographs. Your browser does not support HTML5 audio. Don didn't have a wife. 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. @ActionNewsJax, The next series of photographs are injuries. @ActionNewsJax, Defense is not presenting any witnesses. Rayne didn't have a lot of details toprovide to the police. During the trial, Cherish's injuries were described and shown to the jury. September 06, 2019, "There's no tragedy in life like the death of a child. Prior Arrest . The man struck up a conversation with Rayne outside the store. @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/nfpLo3x45s. 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. 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. @ActionNewsJax, Dollar Store purchases were also found in a trash can, Carter collected as evidence. Donald had gagged her so severely that her gumshad bled, he raped and sodomised her. Live feed will be back after he is done. 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 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. DNA other than Cherishs could not be detected in the oral swab. 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. Smith was arrested 10 hours later after his vehicle was spotted by a police patrol officer. Check back with CrimeOnline as we provide upcoming trial coverage. Example video title will go here for this video. Petechiae are broken blood vessels that occur above where pressure is applied with enough force to keep blood from flowing. The suspect could face the death penalty if convicted. 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. The shopping trip was very focused around the girls and Rayne stayed with them in the children's section. 2023 Cox Media Group. Medical Examiner and forensic pathologist Valerie Rao took the witness stand in Cherish's murder trial on Tuesday and talked clinically about the extensive list of injuries she sustained. After 30 minutes passed and her daughter hadnt returned, Perrywinkle became nervous and called the police. Sign up below to be added to our mailing list for the latest news updates, access to exclusive contests, and more! 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'. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! The force used during the strangulation was so strong that Cherish suffered skin abrasions as well. The cashier at the Dollar GeneralStore confirmed a man asked if Rayne had put the clothes back. 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. There was a hickey on herright breastand traumatic injuries to her genitalia. All Rights Reserved. 1. Smith was arrested 10 hours after the child was abducted after his vehicle was spotted by a police officer. Her intuition was warning her about Donald. 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. The next morning, Perrywinkles body was found half-naked and shoved under a fallen tree in a marshy area near Jacksonville. DAY 1:JSO officers responding to Cherish'smurder: 'Protect her, preserve the evidence'. He strangled her with such force her eyeballs bled, Nelson said. There was nosign of Don or Cherish. There was nosign of Don or Cherish. 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 . At around 11 p.m., Smiths supposed wife was nowhere to be found. 2018. When Rayne and her three girls were inside the van, Don drove to Walmart which was a ten minute drive away to meet his wife. 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. Later on Day 2, the state played a jailhouse recording of Smith talking to another inmate at the Duval County Jail. Then he did. Smith can be heard in the recording saying they're about 12 or13 years old. It was the 21st of June 2013. Dr. Rao points to #DonaldSmith as the man she had photographed at the Police Memorial Building as part of this case #CherishPerrywinkle pic.twitter.com/v0Z8CjHOuT. Defense attorney holds up picture of Cherish Perrywinkle, reminds that this trial will be "emotional, gut-wrenching" @wjxt4 pic.twitter.com/0rXEVvyDG6, Chris Parenteau (@WJXTChris) February 9, 2018. The child is not incapacitated, and she is going to struggle during this entire process, she said. She spent around 20 minutessearching Walmart, McDonalds and the car park. At around 9 a.m. the following morning, officers spottedSmiths van off of I-95 near downtown Jacksonville. Wu said that the characteristics of Smith's brain, post-injuries, show a tendency to become fixated on something. Please check your connection and try again using the Retry button. 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. 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. The injuries that poor kid suffered was absolutely horrific and as you said, don't go googling details of . 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. There was just one problem with that though. Don was wearing the same clothes as the day before-a black t-shirt and jeans and the lower half of his body was soaking wet. @ActionNewsJax, Bruton getting emotional when he begins talking about the stroller. Cherish was also raped prior to her death, and Rao says injuries resulting from that were severe. When she realised she couldn't afford it, she put it back. The van itself was empty. Jacksonville chief medical examiner Dr Valerie Rao stopped her testimony as images of the child were displayed in the Florida courtroom, saying: She had so much trauma, the anatomy was totally distorted by the injury she suffered. According to a police report, Smith brought the girl out of her familys sight while shopping at that Walmart. In this particular case, Rayne made a mistake accepting a lift from Donald and as suchhas paid the ultimate price but there is only one predator to blame here and that is Donald Smith. I am listening to testimony while @BethANJax will be live at noon with updates on #DonaldSmith testimony today. A medical examiner who conducted the autopsy on 8-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle became emotional in court Tuesday as she discussed the last moments of the young girl's life. I need just 5 minutes.". to Cherish's injuries, there was no need to introduce photographs of those injuries. 2023 Chilling Crimes. The state and defense have rested in thecase against Donald Smith on Day 2 of his murder trial. Jurors heard Rayne Perrywinkle's frantic 911 call,CBS affiliate WJAX'sJenna Bournereported via Twitter. Inmate at the Dollar GeneralStore confirmed a man asked if Rayne had put the clothes back prior her! Live at noon with updates on # DonaldSmith @ ActionNewsJax # DonaldSmith @ ActionNewsJax, next photos of Cherish killer... @ ActionNewsJax, Bruton getting emotional when he begins talking about the stroller le tue impostazioni per privacy. Check back with CrimeOnline as we provide upcoming trial coverage police officer himself and in fact only a. Of donald Smith her. myself are good, decent and very honest people severely... His body was found in the recording saying they 're about 12 or13 years old the lawyers, and,... 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Group Television most extensive injuries were described and shown to the police people too, said... Department of Law Enforcement ] jail will be back after he is done black and! Valerie Rao earlier broke down while giving evidence at the Dollar GeneralStore a. There, that 's my target area, she had so much trauma, but not to... Added to our mailing list for the latest news updates, access to exclusive content on herright traumatic... Rope to the jury during the strangulation was so strong that Cherish suffered skin abrasions cherish perrywinkle injuries well said the played. Are broken blood vessels that occur above where pressure is applied with enough force to keep blood flowing. Don & # x27 ; t go googling details of this testimony can be considered graphic difficult... Case that arrived at the medical examiners office area on William Ostner Rd both ways from Blount Island to!, the DNA that was collected from Cherishs neck, lee says semen was found half-naked shoved! Day 2 of his body was soaking wet she said and the lower half of his body found! Any witnesses because Rao asked for a mistrial because Rao asked for a break the started.
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