Jacksonville, FL — As Donald Smith was formally sentenced to death for the 2013 murder of 8-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle, Cherish's mother says she had only one message for him.
“I could say burn in hell, that’s what I want to say. I want him to burn in hell,” says Rayne Perrywinkle.
Sitting in the courtroom, Perrywinkle says she was getting mad because she thought the judge might sentence Smith to life in prison, despite the unanimous recommendation from the jury that he get the death sentence.
“When she [Judge Mallory Cooper] said death penalty, that’s when my tears started coming out,” Perrywinkle says.
She says she never thought this day would come, and now she’s at a loss for words.
“I don’t move forward, I just exist now,” Rayne says.
FULL COVERAGE: The trial of Donald Smith
While this sentence marks an end, of sorts, to a years-long legal process that has dragged on since the girl's murder, Rayne says it's hard to move forward. She is driven, though, to create change, so something like this doesn't happen again.
“I want to strengthen laws to get predators locked up where they should be, so they don’t have the chance to keep getting out to murder children, to lure parents such as myself that were naive,” she says.
Rayne Perrywinkle hugs and thanks one of the jurors who recommended death for her 8 year old daughters killer. #DonaldSmith @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/7BLphuzfcw
— Bridgette Matter (@bridgetteANjax) May 2, 2018
Smith befriended Perrywinkle and offered to buy her children clothing at a Northside Walmart. While they were walking around, Smith offered to get food at the front of the store, and 8-year-old Cherish went with him. The two left the store, and Cherish's body was found the next day in a marshy area.
Smith had previously served time for a number of offenses, including offenses on children. During the penalty phase, a woman he tried to abduct when she was a young girl gave a victim impact statement.
A jury unanimously convicted Smith of the kidnapping, rape, and murder back in February. Later that month, they gave a unanimous recommendation that Smith receive the death penalty. Now, a judge has imposed that sentence.
“I just wish Cherish was here to see it,” Rayne says.
This is a developing story that will be updated through the day.
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