The Cherish Perrywinkle Case: Eight-Year-Old Girl was murdered after she was Abducted From Jacksonville Walmart

On Christmas Eve 2004, Cherish Lily Perrywinkle was born in Jacksonville, Florida, to parents Rayne Perrywinkle and Billy Jarreau.

Her parents were never married, and they frequently faced custody battles.

Cherish grew into a bright, beautiful eight-year-old girl who lived with her mother and two younger sisters in Florida. 

The man who later destroyed the Perrywinkle family's world, Donald James Smith, was born on September 4, 1956. 

Donald James Smith, the man who would later shatter the Perrywinkle family’s world, was born on September 4, 1956. 

His past hinted at the tragedy that lay ahead.

By 2013, Smith had accumulated a lengthy criminal record that branded him as a dangerous sexual predator. 

His crimes consistently targeted children, making him one of Jacksonville's most notorious sex offenders. 

Most disturbingly, when he encountered the Perrywinkle family, he had been free for only three weeks after his latest release from jail. 

The system that should have protected the community from Smith had failed in ways that would soon become tragically clear.

Cherish Perrywinkle Case

The Night Everything Changed

On the evening of June 21, 2013, Rayne Perrywinkle was shopping at Dollar General with her three daughters, including eight-year-old Cherish. 

Like many families, they were struggling financially, trying to make ends meet. 

It was around 8:00 PM when Donald Smith approached them, presenting himself as a good Samaritan. 

He noticed their difficulty affording clothes and offered to help, claiming he had a $150 Walmart gift card. 

For a struggling mother, such an offer of kindness must have seemed like a blessing.

Smith convinced the family to ride in his white van to the Walmart on Lem Turner Road. 

For the next two hours, they shopped together, with Smith maintaining his façade of generosity. 

The store's security cameras would later reveal these ordinary moments - a family shopping, a child walking beside her mother, none aware of the horror to come.

As the evening wore on, around 10:30 PM, Smith suggested buying cheeseburgers from the in-store McDonald's. 

Cherish went with him, likely excited about the treat. 

Instead of heading to McDonald's, surveillance footage captured their last moments together as they walked out of the store. 

This would be the last time Cherish was seen alive.

Cherish Perrywinkle walking out  of Walmart with her killer

The Desperate Search

When Cherish didn't return, panic set in. 

At 11:18 PM, Rayne Perrywinkle made a frantic call to 911, reporting her daughter's disappearance. 

Police responded immediately, broadcasting a BOLO for Smith's white van by 11:36 PM. 

Officers reviewed the surveillance footage, confirming every parent's worst nightmare - Cherish had indeed left with Smith.

The early morning hours of June 22 moved agonizingly slow. 

At 2:20 AM, a homicide sergeant requested an Amber Alert, though it wouldn't be issued until 4:21 AM.

By 5:27 AM, local media were circulating photos of Cherish, Smith, and his van, as the community hoped for the best but fearing the worst.

Donald James Smith

The Devastating Discovery

The break in the case came at 8:34 AM when an alert citizen spotted a suspicious vehicle matching Smith's van near Highlands Baptist Church. 

Within minutes, police located Smith driving on I-95 Southbound. 

They arrested him at 9:05 AM, but Cherish wasn't in the van. 

Smith was wet and disheveled at the time.

He claimed he'd spent the night smoking crack cocaine with prostitutes, attempting to explain away his damp clothing as drug-induced sweating.

At 9:20 AM, every searcher's worst fears were confirmed. 

A K9 team discovered Cherish's body in a creek behind the church, partially submerged in water. 

A plastic Walmart bag lay nearby - a cruel reminder of where the evening had begun. 

Medical examination would later reveal the horrific details: Cherish had been sexually assaulted and strangled.

Donald James Smith immediately after his arrest

Justice for Cherish

The trial began in February 2018, nearly five years after Cherish's death. 

The evidence presented was overwhelming and heartbreaking. 

Surveillance footage showed Smith's calculated behavior. 

The medical examiner's testimony brought jurors to tears. 

Despite defense attorney Julie Schlax's attempts to keep the jury focused on legal technicalities rather than emotions, the impact of the crime was undeniable.

After just 19 minutes of deliberation, the jury found Smith guilty of first-degree murder and sexual battery. 

This case was one of the shortest in Jacksonville's history for a capital case 

The sentencing phase followed, with all twelve jurors unanimously recommending the death penalty. 

In May 2018, Judge Cooper made the sentence official 

Donald James Smith during his appeal

The Long Road of Appeals

In April 2021, Smith's legal team attempted to appeal the conviction.

They cited various concerns including pretrial publicity and the emotional nature of testimony. 

The Florida Supreme Court firmly rejected these arguments, upholding both the conviction and death sentence. 

Legal experts note that the appeals process could continue for a decade, as is typical in death penalty cases.

Today, Cherish Lily  Perrywinkle would have been 20-years-old old.

She would have celebrated her 20th birthday on Christmas Eve 2024 - a date that now brings both celebration of her life and mourning of its tragic end. 

Her case has profoundly impacted Jacksonville, leading to reviews of Amber Alert protocols and discussions about monitoring released sex offenders.

While legal proceedings may continue through appeals, Cherish's memory lives on, touching hearts and changing lives across the nation.

In another case, a woman killed both of her husband's and tried to pin it on her daughter 

See details of that case here

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