A 3-year-old girl was found unresponsive at the South Carolina home of her adopted parents, who are now suspected of killing her. Ariel and Jerry Austin Robinson were charged with homicide by child abuse after little Victoria Rose Smith died in their care, the Los Angeles Times reports. They’re currently being held without bond at Greenville County Detention Center as they await trial.
- Ariel Robinson isn’t entirely unknown. In fact, she appeared on the 20th season of the Food Network show Worst Cooks in America and actually won the competition. Since her arrest, the network has removed the entire season in which Robinson appeared from all of its streaming platforms, according to Deadline.
- The Robinson’s adopted Victoria and her two biological brothers in February 2020. The couple also has two biological sons, and they often talked on social media about their experience of being a blended family. Ariel regularly posted photos of Victoria on Instagram and seemed to be a devoted and loving mother, which made the abuse allegations even more shocking to those who knew the family.
- Victoria Rose’s death was entirely preventable. After she was found unresponsive by authorities earlier this month, she was immediately rushed to Prisma Health Richland Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, a statement from South Carolina’s Simpsonville Police Department revealed. Her death was ruled to be “the direct result of physical abuse.” It’s believed that she suffered multiple blunt force injuries.
- If convicted, both Ariel and Jerry Robinson could face life in prison. The minimum sentence for murder in the state is 20 years, though it’s possible that a guilty verdict could mean that the couple spends the rest of their lives behind bars. If they harmed this little girl and caused her death, that’s the least they deserve.
- Victoria’s biological family was able to give her a beautiful funeral. According to People, a service for Victoria was held at a cemetery in Travelers Rest, South Carolina. Casie Phares, Victoria’s biological mother, placed a teddy bear at her daughter’s grave and a preacher said a few words about the little girl. “Police officers handle all kinds of cases, and these kinds of cases can be the hardest for them to do,” Simpsonville police spokesman Justin Lee Campbell told the outlet. “It is a sad day. You bring charges and maybe convictions, but at the end of the day, the life of a child was taken. For anyone who knew the victim or was related to the victim, they are in our thoughts and prayers.”
My girl was too pretty in her purple at church Wednesday night! 😍💜🧜🏻♀️ #Threenager pic.twitter.com/01I9uhI3cy
— Ari- People Lover 💗🌍🥰✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏻✊ (@arifunnycomedy) January 8, 2021
