Part 5 **CLOSINGS/VERDICT** Murder of 8yr. Old Cherish Periwinkle /Donald Smith Trial (2013)

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Cherish Lily Periwinkle was born on Christmas Eve 2004, she was a bright young girl full of promise. However, her life was tragically cut short at just 8 years old. On June 21, 2013, Cherish was abducted from a Walmart in Jacksonville, Florida.
Earlier that evening, Cherish and her family were shopping at family Dollar, when they crossed paths with Donald James Smith, a man who appeared friendly and offered to buy them clothes with a $150 Walmart gift card. This seemingly kind gesture led them to his white van and, ultimately, to Walmart, where they spent the next two hours shopping.
Around 10:30 p.m., Smith suggested they go to the McDonald's inside Walmart for cheeseburgers. Little Cherish, trusting him, followed him out of the store, but instead of being at the McDonald's, they walked out of the building and to his creepy, white van. This was the last time Cherish was seen alive.
It wasn’t long before her mother realized Cherish was missing and called the police, prompting an Amber Alert to be issued about five hours later. Tragically, the following morning, Cherish’s lifeless body was found in a creek behind a church. It’s believed that Smith had abducted Cherish, tied her up in the back of his van, and subjected her to unspeakable acts before taking her life with his bare hands.
Donald James Smith, a registered sex offender with a long criminal history involving minors, was arrested the following morning when police spotted him driving his white van. He had been released from prison just three weeks prior to the abduction.
Cherish’s tragic death left a devastating impact on her family and the Jacksonville community. Her story is a painful reminder of the dangers posed by predators, in which I refer to as, "dirty bastards" (and that's putting it very nicely) and the lasting trauma caused by such horrific crimes.