The Tragic Story of Cherish Perrywinkle

In the quiet city of Jacksonville, Florida, the summer of 2013 bore witness to a crime that would sear itself into the community's memory. On June 21st, just as the sun began to set on a typical Friday evening, eight-year-old Cherish Lily Perrywinkle encountered a fate no child should ever face.

A Deceptive Encounter

Cherish was born on Christmas Eve of 2004 in Orlando, Florida, to Rayne Perrywinkle and Billy Jarreau. The couple never married and engaged in custody battles over their daughter. On the evening of June 21, 2013, Rayne, Cherish, and her two younger sisters went shopping at a Dollar General store. It was there they first encountered Donald James Smith, a man who would soon reveal his sinister intentions. Offering kindness cloaked in deceit, Smith approached the family with a proposition that seemed heaven-sent. He promised to buy them clothing they couldn't afford, brandishing a $150 Walmart gift card as proof.

Trusting his benevolent facade, Rayne accepted the offer, and the Perrywinkles climbed into Smith's white van, heading to a nearby Walmart. For the next two hours, they roamed the aisles, filling their cart with essentials, unaware of the dark shadow lurking within their midst. As the clock neared 10:30 p.m., Smith suggested fetching cheeseburgers from the in-store McDonald's, offering to take Cherish with him. Surveillance footage captured their exit from the store, the last known images of Cherish alive.

The Night of Horror

When Cherish did not return, Rayne's growing unease turned to terror. Half an hour after Smith and Cherish left Walmart, she called the police, reporting her daughter abducted. Yet, it wasn't until five hours later that an Amber Alert was issued. By the next morning, the grim reality came to light. Cherish's body was discovered in a creek behind Highlands Baptist Church. Investigators deduced that Smith had bound her in his van, where she suffered sexual assault and ligature strangulation.

The Capture of a Predator

The police swiftly identified Donald James Smith as the abductor. His van became central to the investigation, and by 9:00 a.m. the following day, officers spotted it on the interstate. With tactical precision, they cornered Smith, who surrendered without resistance. A known sex offender, Smith's criminal history was marred with offenses against minors, and he had been released from jail only three weeks prior to Cherish's murder.

Justice Sought

The wheels of justice began turning in February 2018 when Smith's trial commenced. The courtroom became a theater of horror as jurors were exposed to the harrowing crime scene photos, images the defense desperately tried to suppress. Despite the defense attorney Julie Schlax's plea for the jury to focus on the law rather than emotions, the evidence was overwhelming. By May 2018, Smith was found guilty of first-degree murder and sexual battery, receiving a death sentence. The verdict prompted an emotional outcry, with Cherish's father voicing that the system had failed to protect his daughter.

In April 2021, the Supreme Court of Florida upheld Smith's conviction and death sentence, closing the chapter on legal appeals but leaving an indelible mark on all involved.

A Community Mourns

Cherish Perrywinkle's tragic story is a stark reminder of innocence lost and the predatory menace lurking in society's shadows. Her death, a profound tragedy, continues to resonate, sparking conversations about child safety and the vigilance required to protect the most vulnerable among us.

Sources

For more detailed accounts and references of Cherish Perrywinkle's story, visit:

• Wikipedia Article on Cherish Perrywinkle
• Additional articles and legal documents are available in the cited works and further reading sections, offering comprehensive insights into the investigation, trial, and aftermath of this tragic case.