It was the last time 8-year-old Cherish was seen alive. "She had so much trauma the anatomy was totally distorted by the injury she suffered," forensic pathologist and Jacksonville chief medical examiner Dr Valerie Rao said as jurors covered and closed their eyes. Rayne went into Walmart with the three girls and began shopping. @ActionNewsJax, Closings are scheduled for tomorrow. 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. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. 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. 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. The suspect could face the death penalty if convicted. Smith told Rayne. 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. ", by Chilling Crimes The next morning, Perrywinkles body was found half-naked and shoved under a fallen tree in a marshy area near Jacksonville. 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. Rao estimates it would have taken three to five minutes for the girl to die in this manner. The injuries that poor kid suffered was absolutely horrific and as you said, don't go googling details of . It was shown as evidence to the jury during the trial of Donald Smith. Her body was found in the water , weighted down by bricks and debris and under a tree. 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 cause of death, Rao determined, was mechanical asphyxia. #DonaldSmith has not turned around to look Cherish's autopsy photos, he is not looking at photos of himself either. All Rights Reserved. Shortly the recording from the jail will be played. She was able to develop a full profile on him. The next day, the full autopsy was performed. Rao says she actually went out to the scene where Cherish was recovered. 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. @ActionNewsJax, #DonaldSmith has not turned around to look Cherish's autopsy photos, he is not looking at photos of himself either. That something, . It was something the entire city of Jacksonville was concerned about given that it was a child., Jurors are understandably becoming agitated and silently upset while looking at the injuries sustained to Cherish's body. Defense is looking for a mistrial because Rao asked for a break. 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. 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. Medical Examiner and forensic pathologist Valerie Rao took the witness stand. Don was 61 year old Donald Smith, aregistered sex offender with offencesdating as far back as the 70s. Cherish Perrywinkle was an 8-year-old girl from Jacksonville, Florida who was abducted from a Walmart on June 21, 2013. On Monday, State Attorney Melissa Nelson described the horrible manner in which 8-year-old. The medical examiner asked for a short break while giving evidence after the disturbing and graphic images shown at the Florida court left her visibly traumatised. Cherish Perrywinkle was abducted, raped and strangled to death Donald Smith, 61, has appeared in court charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and rape of the eight-year-old girl in June. She didn't know Don at all and described him as a man with white hair who drove a white van. Jurors Cry Over Autopsy Photos 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. @ActionNewsJax #DonaldSmith, Undercover officer says he was contacted by SAO for the #DonaldSmith case. Closing arguments are scheduled to begin at 9:15 a.m. Wednesday. Recording of Smith "She ain't black, but she had a lot for a white girl." Powered by Shopify. DAY 1: Cherish's mothersays she never would have knowingly let girl leave with suspect Then he did. 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. It is up to the rest of us to take an even harder look at who is minding our children. A series of swabbings were taken, as well as nail scrapings and clippings. In opening statements, State AttorneyMelissa Nelson told jurors that Smith made comments about a group of girls in the jail. Because of the nature of the case. Later on Day 2, the state played a jailhouse recording of Smith talking to another inmate at the Duval County Jail. Expert says this was an exact match. She said, I hope to God he doesnt kill her and I hope to God he doesnt rape her. The man, later identified as Smith, first offered to buy the mom a dress. It takes a person anywhere from three to five minutes to die from being asphyxiated to death. In court, Raynes 911 call to the dispatcher was played. Security video played in court showed her skipping out the door behind him. He has pleaded not guilty. Police went to the area and looked for water. I dont want him to kill her. 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 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. There was blunt force trauma to her head and ligature marks around her neck. 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. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. View our online Press Pack. Petechiae are broken blood vessels that occur above where pressure is applied with enough force to keep blood from flowing. The child is not incapacitated, and she is going to struggle during this entire process, she said. video feed below for live video updates from court: please follow Bridgette Matter at @BridgetteANjax, Graphic testimony details moments before Cherish Perrywinkle's death, 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. Stay with us as the trial moves forward. Subscribe to 104.5 WOKV newsletter(Opens a new window), 104.5 WOKV facebook feed(Opens a new window), 104.5 WOKV twitter feed(Opens a new window), 104.5 WOKV instagram feed(Opens a new window). As Rayne didn't have a car and didn't drive, she walked with the girls and their stroller to the store. The swift guilty. @ActionNewsJax, Judge says she is denying the motion for mistrial. He gagged her, raped her, he sodomized her, then he strangled her. Jurors Cry Over Autopsy Photos 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. The defense called for a mistrial over the interruption in testimony, but the judge denied the motion,Matter tweeted. Rayne is heard saying in the call. The van itself was empty. To follow live onTwitter, please follow Bridgette Matter at @BridgetteANjax, LATEST: Graphic testimony details moments before Cherish Perrywinkle's death. 1. At his trial, the court was shown video of the moment Smith led the child away from her family while out shopping. Donald James Smith has been found guilty of the murder and rape of Cherish Perrywinkle. The medical examiner said that Cherish Perrywinkle died from being strangled, probably with a piece of clothing. @ActionNewsJax, Defense is not presenting any witnesses. @ActionNewsJax, Dr. Rao is explaining photos, multiple bruises on Cherish's body. There is no surprise that a man like Donald lies and he told his mother that Cherish followed him out and hopped in the van and he knew then he would already be in trouble due to his previous convictions. When they arrived at Walmart, Don continued with the lie that he had a wife and told Rayne that he would wait for his wife in the car park. Cherish was just eight years old andlived with her mother Rayne, Rayne's boyfriend and Cherish's two younger sisters in Jacksonville in Florida. 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. Opening statements were held in the trial Monday. At 11.20pm, Rayne called 911. 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. The effect of smothering or force to keep her quiet would cause these injuries. the injuries were bleeding nostrils and injuries on her upper lip. #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'. Large petechiae formed in her eyes from the force of strangling her to death. @ActionNewsJax, "Semen positive" in vaginal swabs. 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. Please enter valid email address to continue. @ActionNewsJax, Rao explaining photographs, we will not see them, only Dr. Rao, the lawyers, and jury. 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. You may be offline. She spent around 20 minutessearching Walmart, McDonalds and the car park. The man struck up a conversation with Rayne outside the store. @ActionNewsJax, Dr. Rao asks to take a break seeming overwhelmed by the photos. 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. Example video title will go here for this video. LIST: Six things we learned after two days of the Cherish Perrywinkletrial, ON TV: Full report from @BridgetteAnJax on CBS47 at 5 and 6, DAY 2:'She had a lot for a white girl,' Smith tells inmate in jailhouse recording. Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? 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. September 06, 2019, "There's no tragedy in life like the death of a child. @ActionNewsJax, Rao says Cherish weighed 67 pounds. 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. 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. Smiths defense lawyers have yet to give an explanation or defense for Smiths actions. Cherish was also raped prior to her death, and Rao says injuries resulting from that were severe. Dr. Wu said that Smith was just 9 when he suffered a traumatic brain injury (or TBI). She said that she did not want to appear too overprotective. There was a creek behind a Church and along with the help of a police dog, police made a devastating discovery. It's all part of thesecond day of the trial of Donald Smith, the man who's accused oftaking the girl from her family at a Northside Walmart,raping her, and leaving her dead in water near a church. 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. There was a hickey on herright breastand traumatic injuries to her genitalia. It's clear that it's difficult for #CherishPerrywinkle's mother Rayne Perrywinkle to listen to this 911 call. During the trial, Cherish's injuries were described and shown to the jury. That's the only reason.". Smiths DNA also matched samples from a rectal swab of 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. 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. But the most extensive injuries were to her genitalia which was torn, swollen, clearly abused, and distorted. 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. @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/nnTMgN1vnC, FDLE DNA Expert is on the stand right now. 2023 Cox Media Group. So in reality she didn't have a lot of money to buy Cherish new clothes for her trip. Jury selection for the case that shocked the Jacksonville community and the nation is schedule to begin on February 12. @ActionNewsJax https://t.co/MwTPX7bR9X, Undercover officer placed microphones in vents at Duval County jail to capture communications between #DonaldSmith and another inmate. Donald had gagged her so severely that her gumshad bled, he raped and sodomised her. With the exception of the insect activity, Rao says they determined all of the injuries she suffered happened before her death. The force used to smother her was enough to make her nose and gums bleed. 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