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Boyfriend Charged With Murder in Stabbing Death of Former ‘Lion King’ Child Actor Imani Dia Smith

Prosecutors describe the Edison, N.J., killing as not random, with the 35-year-old suspect held pending a detention hearing.

Overview

  • Police responded to a 911 call on Dec. 21 in Edison, found Smith with stab wounds, and she was pronounced dead at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.
  • Jordan D. Jackson-Small, 35, was arrested Dec. 23 without incident and charged with first-degree murder, second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and weapons offenses.
  • Prosecutors said the killing was not random and confirmed Smith and Jackson-Small knew each other.
  • He is being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center pending a pretrial detention hearing.
  • A GoFundMe organized by Smith’s aunt has raised more than $46,000 toward a roughly $50,000–$55,000 goal to cover funeral costs, therapy, legal fees, and care for her 3-year-old son; reports list her age as either 25 or 26.