Overview
- Edison police responded to a 9:18 a.m. 911 call on Dec. 21 and found Smith with stab wounds at her home; she was pronounced dead at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.
- Jordan D. Jackson‑Small, 35, was arrested without incident and charged with first‑degree murder, second‑degree endangering the welfare of a child, third‑degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and fourth‑degree unlawful possession of a weapon.
- He is being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center pending a pre‑trial detention hearing as the investigation continues.
- Officials said the killing was not a random act and that Smith and Jackson‑Small knew each other; family members have identified him as her boyfriend.
- Smith, who played Young Nala in The Lion King on Broadway in 2011–2012, is survived by a 3‑year‑old son, and a family GoFundMe has raised more than $59,000, with some outlets reporting totals above $65,000; reports differ on her age, with officials listing 26 and relatives 25.