In the cold of a Milwaukee winter, on December 19, 2013, the life of 26-year-old Black / African American female Janie Jefferson was tragically cut short. On that Thursday morning, in a home on the city's south side, a violent altercation ended in a devastating murder-suicide. The authorities who responded to the scene discovered the bodies of Janie and her 26-year-old boyfriend, Dontavio Smith.
The investigation by the Milwaukee police determined that Smith shot and killed Janie before
turning the gun on himself. The catalyst for this tragic event was reportedly a dispute about moving to Arizona. The horror of the situation was compounded by the fact that their three young children, all under the age of six, were present in the home at the time of the incident.
In the immediate aftermath, the couple's oldest daughter, a brave 6-year-old, led her two younger siblings out of the house to the front porch, where they waited until help arrived. The children were taken into the care of child protective services as authorities began the search for relatives in Arizona. The community, shaken by the tragedy, quickly rallied around the newly orphaned children. A fund, named the Jefferson Orphan Fund, was established at Tri-City National Bank to support them. Local leaders, including Alderman Bob Donovan, and community members made appeals for donations to ensure the children would be cared for during the holiday season and beyond.
