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Police Needed Therapy After Witnessing This Crime

 

We go back to Jacksonville where Cherish Periwinkle was born. Her mother used to say that her daughter was the most precious Christmas gift she had ever received. Cherish’s father was Billy Dro, a Marine who met Rain at a strip club on San Juan Avenue. And that meeting didn’t exactly fit the picture of a classic love story.

 You know, Billy bought Rain some drinks and after that they ended up at his place and pretty soon, like it’s not hard to guess, Cherish became part of their lives. When Rain told Billy she was pregnant, he insisted on a paternity test. Rain refused and after that, Billy disappeared and never acknowledged Cherish as his daughter.

 Later on, he would admit that he should have handled things very differently. So the question is what exactly does Billy mean when he talks about her environment?  This child was going through stuff in her life and I know she was going through stuff because I could read and I could see things around her.  Let’s move forward in time.

 Cherish was born and Rain suddenly found herself carrying motherhood completely on her own. It was hard, incredibly hard. By 2006, she was right at the edge. Eventually, she ended up in a homeless shelter. Cherish was just under 2 years old at the time. And things only got worse. More than once, the daycare couldn’t reach Rain to come pick Cherish up.

 You can imagine the kind of fear that must have caused. It’s the kind of thing that makes your stomach drop. You know, there was another disturbing incident at the shelter. Rain lost control and hit Cherish, which immediately caught the attention of social services. Authorities were alarmed and Rain was required to attend counseling and support programs to help her stabilize and keep from losing control again.

 In 2007, the state finally contacted Billy and informed him that a paternity test had been confirmed. He was hit with a massive amount of back child support, around $220,000 for all those years. Rain had been carrying everything alone. That’s when Rain Periwinkle found herself in a really complicated situation. Billy suddenly decided to officially acknowledge paternity and he moved fast.

Almost immediately, he launched a legal battle for custody, convinced that Rain wasn’t capable of providing Cherish with a stable, safe environment. In 2010, the court ruled for shared responsibility, but primary custody stayed with Rain. Cherish spent weekends and summer breaks with Billy.

 Still, deep down, Billy was convinced the court had made a mistake and that sooner or later, Rain would break and full custody would end up with him. He was just waiting for that moment. At the same time, Rain entered a new relationship with a man named Aaron Pearson. Together, they moved into a small, cozy house on Allen Avenue, right near the pool at Carville Park.

 It looked like the perfect place for kids. Rain and Aaron had two more daughters, Destiny, born in 2008, and Noah, born in 2010. Cherish became the big sister and often helped take care of the younger girls. By the age of eight, Cherish was already showing her creative side. Cherish could sit for hours just drawing non-stop.

 She was doing well in school already in second grade. When she visited Billy in San Diego, he tried to make every single moment special. His Facebook looked like a scrapbook of their time together. Disneyland, Hoover Dam, even the Grand Canyon. Like Rain, Billy had built a new family, too. He got married and became the father of a son.

 But no matter what, he always made time for his daughter, Cherish. Life on Allen Avenue wasn’t always calm for Cherish. Rain was battling serious inner struggles, especially during her pregnancy with Noah, her youngest child. There was a dark period when Rain attempted to take her own life while struggling with borderline personality disorder.

 She was involuntarily hospitalized under the Baker Act. And even after she came home, the problems didn’t just disappear. The Department of Children and Families stepped in after an incident where Rain, in the middle of a heated argument with Aaron Pearson, threw a plate. That moment raised serious doubts about her ability to care for the children.

 And then came the day that would change everything. Around 700 p.m. on June 21st, 2013, Cherish went with Rain and her sisters to Dollar General. It was supposed to be a routine trip just picking out a new dress for Cherish before her summer visit with her dad. But while they were shopping, Rain couldn’t shake this uneasy feeling.

 It felt like someone was watching them. There was a man nearby who seemed to be staring like he couldn’t take his eyes off them. Something about it just felt wrong.  When did you first notice the defendant inside the Dollar General?  I was in the shoe a while trying on shoes with my children.

 I looked to my right and he was standing in the doorway looking right at us.  The man with gray hair looking to be around 50 years old kept his eyes fixed on Rain and her daughters almost like he was watching a scene play out in a movie. And then just as suddenly as he had appeared, he vanished from sight. Rain tried not to dwell on it, you know, told herself not to overthink it and went back to shopping.

 Were you looking specifically at any items of clothing inside the general?  Yes.  What were you looking at?  It was a little black and white dress that I saw.  Money was tight. So despite the girls asking, Rain could only buy a few small things. When they walked out of the store, someone was already waiting for them outside, and it didn’t take much to realize who it was.

 The same gay-haired man. He approached Rain, started a conversation, and introduced himself as Dawn. It seemed like he had noticed how hard it was for Rain to pay for the purchases, and he offered to help her out.  What did he say to you when you walked out the front door of the Dollar General?  If you really want that dress, I’ll get it for you.

Did he make any other comments to you about your children?  Yes.  What’ he say?  He said, “You look like you have your hands full. I have a couple of little ones.”  Don claimed that his wife had a Walmart gift card worth $150 just sitting around unused, collecting dust. He said Rain could take it no problem at all.

 During the course of that conversation, did he make any mention of a gift card that he may have at Walmart?  Yes. What did he tell you about this gift card?  He said, “I I have a $150 gift card. I’m waiting on my wife.”  Feeling grateful for what seemed like a genuine, almost life-saving offer, Rain agreed.

 She did make one thing clear right away they didn’t have a car of their own. So, they all stayed there standing in the parking lot waiting for his wife to arrive.  Did he tell you his wife was coming?  I kept asking him where where she was. What was his response?  She’s coming.  Did he tell you how she was coming?  I asked him, “What does she drive?” He said, “A gold car.

”  You were waiting to see if his wife came to give you the gift card.  Yes.  Did it begin to rain at some point while you were waiting for his wife to arrive in the school car?  Yes.  What were the children doing? They were playing with their umbrellas and running around having fun.  Just doing what kids would do.

 Yes.  And it was right then that Dawn, almost like a so-called savior in shining armor, put forward his own idea. His van was parked nearby and he suggested taking them straight to Walmart so they could meet his wife there instead. Rain hesitated. The thought of getting into a stranger’s vehicle immediately set off alarm bells. Rain was in a tough spot.

Money was critically tight. She would have preferred to keep waiting for his wife, but she never showed up. And the idea of stepping into a windowless van only made Rain more uneasy. That’s when Don pushed again flat out, asking whether she wanted his help or not. And in that exact moment, his tone shifted completely.

 He got snappy with me because I wouldn’t get in the van.  What do you mean he got snappy with you? Describe that for me.  He had an attitude. He said, “You don’t have to do this.” He asked if I wanted to see his driver’s license.  Don insisted that he had no bad intentions at all. Nothing hidden, nothing sinister behind the offer.

I could go off anywhere. We were shocked. I was talking to an hour or so. I know.  Don knew exactly what made Rain change her mind. A light rain had started to fall and she was standing there with no money and no way to get anywhere.  I’m going to Walmart. Where do you want to go? Well, I don’t know.

 She says, “I don’t want to go out and talk to strangers.” So, I understand it started raining. So she says, “Well, I tell you what, I have to go back to Walmart. It’s okay. Start misting rain. We went to Walmart.” So I told her, “You get your dress, your pair of shoes for your kid.” The kid was going to California the next morning.

 But when Rain glanced inside the van, what she saw immediately raised red flags. Even so, she and the girls climbed in and they headed toward Walmart. The entire ride, Rain couldn’t shake the feeling of dread. She was in a van with a complete stranger, and on top of that, her phone wasn’t working.  Did you have a cell phone at this time?  Yes.

 Did you have it on you?  Yes.  Was it functioning or was it working?  No, it wasn’t working.  Why?  Because my 5-year-old daughter, Destiny, put it in the cat water to wash it. She told me. Inside Walmart, they made their way to the clothing section and Rain started picking out things for the kids.

Don stepped away for a bit, heading back out to his van. After some time, he returned and joined them again, walking through the aisles. Nothing about that seemed suspicious to Rain, but then Don crossed a line, one that instantly triggered her maternal instincts. He suggested that Cherish pick out a pair of high heeled shoes.

 Rain shut that down immediately. She said no. Time kept passing and by around 1000 p.m. the girls were getting tired and cranky. So anyway, crazy thinking, oh god, how am I going to get away from these people cuz now they want to ride home. Show them your clothes.  Rain realized they hadn’t eaten anything all day.

 At some point while you were shopping inside the Walmart, did the defendant make any mention to you about getting some food?  Yes.  What did he say and how did he say?  He used his hand and he said, “I’m going to McDonald’s. What do you want to eat?”  Cherish reacted with excitement at the mention of McDonald’s and she went off with Dawn while Rain stayed behind to finish shopping.

 But about 20 minutes later, a wave of anxiety hit Rain. The McDonald’s inside the Walmart was closed.  After they walk off, what do you do?  I went to the shoe section because my 5-year-old Destiny wanted a pair of shoes, a bigger size.  Did you continue to shop for the girls and look at clothes and things of that nature?  I was just looking at the shoes and then I started to walk to the front of the store.

Had you heard an announcement about the store would be closing?  Yes.  And what time was the Walmart actually closing closing that night?  11:00.  At some point, did you seek help from the Walmart employees and try to call the police?  Yes. I was yelling, “Call 911. My daughter’s been taken.

” And no one would no one would help me right away. It was around 11:20 p.m. when Rain finally managed to get through to 911. Her voice was shaking as she told the dispatcher that Cherish was missing. 911 Robinson said, “Hi, that Walmart li been taken.” What do you mean? I can’t find her. And you say you’re at the Walmart or Lyn Turner?  Yes, I am. Okay.

 When was where did you last see her at?  Walmart. I met a man today at Dollar General. He saw that I was struggling to buy them some clothes. He drove us here to buy us some clothes. And the only reason I went with him because she said his wife was going to be here cuz I told him I don’t take rides with strangers. I Okay, ma’am.

 What’s going on? I remember what clothes she was wearing cuz I’m panicking right now. I’m trying not to panic. Okay. And she was blasting with this man. He went to He said he was going to McDonald’s and he he hasn’t been there because the store is closed right now.  Okay. Is he a white man or a black man?  A white man.

 He’s got white short hair and he’s got dark eyebrows. Okay. Dark dark short hair. No, he’s got white hair and dark eyebrows.  During that tense, chaotic call, Rain didn’t hold anything back. From the very start, she told the dispatcher that something about Dawn had felt off to her. She laid it all out. How he’d been watching them at Dollar General, how he had taken Cherish to the fitting rooms twice.

 She admitted she’d tried to convince herself everything would be fine, that she didn’t want to seem overly suspicious or paranoid, but now Cherish wasn’t there.  I had a strange feeling about him when I first met him, and he took her to the he took her to the the to the dressing room twice, and I was hoping that she would be okay.

 And I was looking at the shoe and I didn’t want him to think that I was overly protested, freaking out. But now here and I find it very odd because he knows that. Okay, ma’am. What kind of vehicle does he drive? It’s the white van that do you remember any stickers or anything on the side of the van? Anything that you can remember at all? Did it have tint windows or anything? And got caught in her van.

take a look.  And he he said what? I didn’t take a good look at the head. Okay. Do you remember what did you any tag on it or anything with all tag? No, I didn’t look at that. I feel like a fool. Okay. Can you remember what he had on?  No, I don’t remember anything cuz I’m panicking right now.  Okay, ma’am.

 What’s your name?  My name He said his name’s Dawn. He said he was supposed to meet his wife here and his wife never showed up and I couldn’t figure out why. His wife didn’t even show up at Dollar General and he told you that y’all were going to meet his wife at um the Walmart.  Yes. First she was supposed to shop at Dollar General and then he was going to meet with her at at Walmart.

 And we’ve been here probably 2 hours.  And as that call dragged on, minute by minute, a heavy icy fear began to settle in. Then the realization hit sudden and crushing like a ton of bricks. At that very moment, something truly horrific could be happening to Cherish.  She’s supposed to go to California in the morning.

 Who knew the flame? And he knows as I told him this. He knew when the store was closing. He had a bad feeling about him.  Okay. How long have you been looking for? When was the last time you saw? How long ago?  Half an hour ago. You been looking for her for a half an hour? She is. There’s nobody in the store. Kenji knew the store was closing.

 He said he was going to McDonald’s. She went with him. I should have told her to stay with me. You going for the McDonald’s inside the store? Yes, there’s a McDonald’s inside the store. He wasn’t here. Oh, okay. You have more kids with you?  Yes, I have two. My other one, I think he I think he killed her. Okay, ma’am. You You think she’s been taken? You say you have other kids with you?  Yes, I do.

 The moment that frantic call went out over the police radio, detectives moved without hesitation and headed straight to Walmart. Search teams swept the area around the store, but neither Cherish nor Dawn was anywhere to be found. At the same time, inside Walmart, investigators began reviewing the surveillance footage, and what it revealed was deeply disturbing.

 The cameras showed the Periwinkle family with Dawn inside the store. But the moment detectives saw Cherish leaving the building with him, the shock set in. The footage also captured a white Dodge van with Florida license plates pulling out of the parking lot with Cherish inside.

 With that critical lead in hand, investigators worked non-stop. Some units canvased the surrounding neighborhoods while others focused on tracking down the vehicle itself. Then at around 2 a.m. M, the first major breakthrough came. The gay-haired man was identified. His name was Donald James Smith, age 56. Donald James Smith’s past painted a dark picture.

Even as a child, he was known as troubled. As he grew older, his life slid deeper into crime. Everything from theft and illegal power hookups to check fraud. And in 1993, Smith’s path took an even darker turn when he ended up behind bars.  Back in your childhood, did you live with family here in Jacksonville, Florida?  I did.

 I’d like to direct your attention to September 27th, uh, 1992. How old were you? Were you at that time?  13.  As you were walking to Tamar’s house, did you encounter a man in a van?  Yes.  Could you describe the van to me?  It was a gray van. Um had uh the side windows were tinted. Um it was a Chevy, I believe.

And the man who was driving that can describe it for me, please.  Um, he was probably close to 40. Um, shoulder lengths, dark hair, pointy nose.  Do you see the man who was driving that van in this courtroom here today?  Yes.  Could you please point him out and describe where he’s seated and what he’s wearing?  There at that table in the orange.

 Did he ask you if you wanted to ride.  He did.  And what was your response to?  I told him no.  She hid inside a tube slide on a playground. He kept shouting threats at her while she stayed tucked away in her hiding spot  behind the school. There was a small playground and there was a a big like a tube slide in the playground table.

I cannot think.  When he couldn’t get to her, he shifted his focus looking for other vulnerable children. Just a few hours after that incident, he was back at it again. Eventually, he was arrested and the court handed down a sentence 5 years in prison. But even after his release in 1997, the trouble didn’t stop.

 Parole was set for 1999. But Smith’s life took a sharp turn when the Department of Children and Families initiated a clinical interview. In 2009, Smith found himself at the center of another serious scandal. This time, he was accused of attempting to target a child along with abusing authority and impersonating a government official.

 After his arrest, he blamed everything on his condition at the time, claiming he was under the influence of crack. In 2012, he finally stood trial and pleaded guilty to serious charges. Still, the sentence was shockingly light, just two years behind bars. The reason was painfully simple. The victim’s mother couldn’t bring herself to put her child through a full trial.

 After serving only two years for attempting to harm children and impersonating a public official, Smith was released on May 31st, 2013, less than 1 month before Cherish disappeared. On the morning Cherish vanished, Smith spoke with police during a routine check at his residence. He was living on Seiya Avenue. The house had belonged to his mother for decades, and most of the neighbors were well aware of his past.

Years earlier, Smith had picked up odd jobs around town, painting, small repairs. But after his release in May, he kept a low profile. People barely saw him. Investigators moved fast and with purpose. With clear signs of an abduction, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement didn’t waste a second. An Amber Alert was issued immediately, including a description of Smith’s van along with details about Cherish and Smith himself.

 Around 4:30 in the morning, the alert went out statewide, triggering a flood of notifications to law enforcement agencies and partner services. Later that same day, in the early afternoon, Smith’s van was spotted on Interstate 95. Investigators moved in right away and stopped him without any resistance.  Step out of the vehicle, face away from us. Keep your hands in the air.

Stop. Smith was wearing the exact same clothes as the day before, a black t-shirt and black jeans. His eyes were bloodshot. Every piece of clothing he had on was completely soaked. He explained it by saying he’d been sweating heavily overnight, claiming he’d spent the night smoking crack with prostitutes in the back of the van.

Since Cherish was not found inside the vehicle, Smith was immediately taken into custody and transported to the station. If Smith had been carrying a firearm that morning, things could have ended very differently. Shortly after his arrest, police received a critical tip. Someone reported a suspicious van near Highlands Baptist Church on Broward Road.

 According to the witness, between 7:00 and 8 that morning, the van had been seen parked on a small bridge over a creek.  That morning, a witness placed this call to 911 saying she had spotted Smith’s van behind a church.  And how long ago did you see it?  Oh man. At 7:00, that was 720. Yeah, 7:20.  It was like We didn’t say  we didn’t know anything until just now.

 All right. And you said it’s now gone.  Yes.  Yes, ma’am.  But you think he may have just in case he might have dumped something,  right? We don’t know, but just in case. It looked suspicious cuz it was all the way to the back.  That immediately raised suspicion, especially because there wasn’t a single person around.

 The creek itself ran alongside a densely wooded area thick with overgrowth, which only added to the sense of unease and secrecy. Investigators didn’t hesitate. They secured the area right away, brought in K-9 units, and began a careful, methodical search of the surroundings. One of the handlers, Charlie Wilkkey, moved without pause.

 His canine partner, Gator, quickly picked up a scent and led him straight upstream along the creek.  You were face to face with evil.  Absolutely. Yep. Yeah. The worst of the worst.  In the distance, Charlie noticed an old fallen tree lying in thick grass near the creek. Suddenly, Gator lunged in that direction and gave a clear signal the dog had picked up the scent.

 Next, I uh I put put Gator in the down. So, I had him stay on the shoreline and uh I could see out beside me, I could see a tree that was laying on its side. And then looking at the reads that were kind of pushed down that were a little bit ahead of me. It almost looked like a triangulation.

 There was reads pushed down in a path that gator had come down. And then I’m looking from my vantage point and I’m looking out and it just everything’s lining up with this tree that’s directly ahead of me in the water, but it’s it’s in the water.  As Charlie moved closer, what he saw nearly stopped his heart. Beneath the trunk of the fallen tree lay the lifeless body of a little girl.

 It was Cherish. She was still wearing the same orange dress with the fruit pattern, the one she’d been seen in the day before. The discovery site instantly became an active crime scene. The area was sealed off with tape and Cherish’s body was carefully transported to the medical examiner’s office.

 What investigators would later learn about her death was horrifying. Almost immediately, a wave of blame and outrage followed, much of it directed at the Florida Department of Children and Families. Their spokesperson, John Harrell, spoke bluntly and without sugar coating it. He urged parents to stay constantly alert, stressing that there are people out there who have bad intentions toward children.

 Back in April of 2006, Rain had been accused of allegedly shaking Cherish during a crying episode. DCF investigated but found no physical injuries. That same year, Rain once failed to pick Cherish up from daycare. In 2009, DCF stepped in again, this time over allegations against Cherish’s father, Billy, who was accused of spanking her hard enough to leave a mark.

 There were also other serious accusations, including claims of inappropriate behavior toward children, though those allegations were not detailed in DCF’s report. That same year, RA reported that someone had behaved inappropriately toward Cherish, but official documents did not specify who that person was. In 2012, yet another incident was investigated after an argument between Re and her boyfriend. She reportedly had bruises.

Still, John Harold maintained that all of these were claims and suspicions and that at no point did DCF have sufficient legal grounds to remove the children from the home. Public questions soon followed. Why did news of Cherish’s abduction reach the public so late? The call to police came in at 11 p.m. and investigators began working immediately, but the public alert didn’t go out until around 4:30 in the morning.

 Many people wondered if authorities already had a description of the kidnapper in his vehicle. Why wasn’t the public warned sooner, especially when it’s well known that the first hours after an abduction are critical? The night after Smith’s arrest and the discovery of Cherish’s body, hundreds of people gathered at Highland’s Baptist Church on the north side of the city, they came together to pray for Cherish and for her family, shattered by grief.

 Meanwhile, the justice system moved fast. Smith was formally charged with kidnapping and murder. Bond was denied. Prosecutors even stated they could seek the death penalty. Not long after, Smith was brought into an interrogation room where investigators noticed bruises on his body.  Have a seat. We’ll be with you in a little bit.

 What’s your name?  Donald Smith.  Donald Smith.  Yes.  Several photographs were taken of him to document the evidence and then Smith was seated across from the investigators. He had no intention of talking to them. Still, their first question was simple. Did he need anything? His first request was to be allowed to call his mother, so she could hire Anne Finel, a well-known defense attorney.

 But as he was being led back to his cell, he quietly muttered, “Tell my mom not to call Anne Finel. They’re going to kill me anyway. There’s no point wasting the money.” In early June, Smith was formally confronted with a list of serious charges: firstdegree premeditated murder and kidnapping. On every count, he entered a plea of not guilty.

 Not long after that, his mother came to visit him in jail. Their conversation was recorded. During that meeting, Smith admitted to her that he was afraid of going to prison, fully aware of the danger that awaited him there. I can’t go to prison. My charges stab me to death. be dead. Don’t bring me that last month. I’d be dead.

So is either death row or the hospital. There is no prison. I don’t want to go. I’d rather go to death row cuz I’m going to die anyway. Prison is going to kill me. During that conversation, Smith began comparing his crime to high-profile cases, bringing up the Casey Anthony case in particular. This is way bigger than anything.

It’s way bigger than Anthony. Way bigger.  In a clearer moment during that conversation, he started talking about death row. Smith said that if he were sentenced to death, the death itself would be easy and peaceful because inmates on death row are kept separate from the general prison population. According to him, that separation would protect him from attacks or retaliation by other inmates  itself in a million different ways.

 But and every year I would think, well, what am I going to do about it this year? Am I going to just go to my grave sick and hiding and uh alone?  His mother admitted that things were incredibly hard for her, too. She said journalists and strangers were constantly harassing her and she couldn’t even sit on her own front porch in peace anymore.

 I’m  sorry that you’re having to go through this and not being able not being able to sit out on the back porch. This lady rain, she doesn’t have that opportunity. Her daughter is gone. No last words, no last I love yous of whatever. She’s just gone. I’m not sure you know what’s going to happen.  Smith asked his mother to bring him the most recent edition of the DSM, the diagnostic manual for mental disorders.

He wanted to study it closely, hoping to use it to build a defense strategy centered around mental health. It’s got to be hard. There’s a boy out there.  As November of 2017 approached, the trial date was closing in fast. Smith’s defense pushed hard to have the jury selected in Miami instead of Jacksonville, arguing that the massive media coverage had made it nearly impossible to find an unbiased jury locally. But Judge Mallalerie D.

 Cooper stood firm. She ruled that the court would first attempt to seat a fair and impartial jury right there in Jacksonville. In the end, the jury was selected right there. They took their seats in the courtroom and the trial began. Prosecutor Melissa Nelson painted a chilling picture of Cherish’s final moments.

 She told the jury that the little girl had been strangled with such brutal force that her eyes began to bleed. Defense attorney Julie Shrock offered a different narrative, arguing that Rain had knowingly gotten into Smith’s vehicle. It was clear the defense wasn’t denying Smith’s involvement in the killing. Their strategy was focused on one thing, only trying to soften the sentence by suggesting that Reigns somehow shared part of the responsibility.

 One of the first witnesses to take the stand was Dr. Valerie R, the medical examiner. She testified that bruising had been found on Cherish’s chest. She then went on to describe in detail the injuries to the girl’s legs and knees.  Yes. So this is her left leg. This is the knee area right here. So you can you can orient where which part of the body you have bruising right here.

 She also confirmed that Smith’s DNA was found on Cherish’s body. Dr. Valerie Rained composed as she carefully described every injury, but after about 40 minutes on the stand, the weight of it all became too much. She broke down in tears right there in the courtroom. The prosecutor then methodically walked the jury through the full body of evidence against Smith, step by step, showing surveillance footage and presenting the DNA results.

 Then, unexpectedly, the defense waved closing arguments. Even more telling, they didn’t call a single witness on Smith’s behalf. After that, the jury retired to deliberate, and just 15 minutes later, they came back with a verdict. Donald James Smith was found guilty of kidnapping and murdering Cherish Periwinkle.

 The trial then moved into the sentencing phase. The jury now had to decide whether Smith would spend the rest of his life in prison or be sentenced to death. A unanimous decision was required. On May 1st, Smith was brought back into the courtroom where Judge Mallalerie D. Cooper delivered the harshest sentence possible, the death penalty.

 Addressing Smith directly, she said, “Donald Smith, you have not only forfeited your right to live among us, you have forfeited your right to live at all.” Two years later, Smith filed an appeal, arguing that the trial should have been moved out of Duval County and that the jury should not have been shown graphic images of Cherish’s body.

 The appeal was denied. Today, he remains on death row. Her life was taken far too soon, but Cherish’s legacy lives on as a reminder of how crucial it is to stay alert in public spaces. May her memory be a light that pushes us to build a world where tragedies like this exist only in the distant past. All right, friends.

 That’s going to be it for today. And honestly, I truly appreciate you being here with me on YouTube. Please take care of yourselves and each other. Stay safe, stay aware, and don’t lose that sense of curiosity. Thank you. And I’ll see you next