Tributes continue to pour in for Imani Dia Smith, who played Young Nala in Broadway’sThe Lion King. The 25-year-old was stabbed to death on 21 December 2021 in New Jersey, in the United States. According to her family statement, Smith was killed by her boyfriend, 35-year-old Jordan D.
Jackson-Small. He has since been arrested and charged with murder. New Jersey police said the killing was not a random act of violence.
“Smith and Jackson-Small knew each other prior to the incident, thus it was not a random act of violence,” police said in a statement. Police said Jackson-Small was arrested without incident and faces multiple charges. “Jackson-Small 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,” the statement said.
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Following her death, Smith’s family launched aGoFundMecampaign to assist with burial costs and other expenses, including therapy for her son, siblings, and parents. The campaign has raised more than $69,000 (about R1.15 million) of its $75,000 (about R1.2 million) target.
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