Overview
- Police found Smith with stab wounds at a residence in Edison, New Jersey, on December 21 and she was pronounced dead at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.
- Authorities detained Jordan D. Jackson-Small, identified as her partner, who faces a first-degree murder charge along with child-endangerment and weapons offenses.
- County officials said the couple’s three-year-old child is now in family care and the case remains under investigation.
- Smith’s aunt, Kira Helper, launched a GoFundMe to cover funeral costs, counseling, and childcare, with donations surpassing $60,000.
- Smith performed as Young Nala in The Lion King on Broadway from September 2011 to September 2012, drawing tributes from the theater community.