In the quiet town of Zachary, Louisiana, a horrific and tragic event unfolded on a Saturday afternoon in October 2017, forever changing the lives of a young family. Inside a home on Hancock Street, 11-month-old Jericho Smith was found dead, the victim of a brutal act that shocked the community. An autopsy would later reveal the devastating extent of his injuries, confirming that the infant had died from a combination of multiple gunshot wounds, stab wounds, and blunt force trauma.
The
discovery was made under the most heartbreaking of circumstances. The child's two older siblings, aged nine and five, had reportedly been locked out of the house. When they were finally able to get back inside, they found their baby brother. In a state of shock, they ran to a neighbor for help, who then entered the home to find the infant lying on the floor.
The sole adult in the home at the time of the incident was the children's father, 33-year-old Fabian Smith. In the immediate aftermath, he was taken into custody by the Zachary Police Department. He was subsequently arrested and charged with first-degree murder and aggravated cruelty to juveniles.
The baby's mother, Iesha Tolbert, expressed her profound grief and disbelief, stating that she had known her husband for fifteen years and could never have imagined him capable of such an act. She mourned the loss of her son, who she described as a joyful baby whose favorite word was 'dada.'
