Two women have been charged with murder after a 4-year-old Georgia boy was found dead beneath a pile of clothes in an Atlanta closet.
Jasmaine Smoak, 32, and Jasmine Jenkins, 30, were both arrested following the discovery of Cobee Cooks’ body during a police welfare check last week. Smoak had been serving as caretaker for Cobee and his 5-year-old brother, Kayden, while the boys’ mother remained incarcerated in Clarke County.
The investigation began when Smoak’s father called 911 on Oct. 26 and reported that his daughter had told him a child was unresponsive after getting into medication, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. When police arrived at the home, they found Cobee upstairs in a closet, buried under clothing. Authorities determined he had been dead between 12 and 24 hours.
An arrest warrant obtained by 11 Alive revealed the extent of the boy’s injuries. Cobee suffered multiple blunt force injuries and a lacerated liver and spleen, injuries that caused his death. He had more than 20 injuries in total, including cuts, burns and broken bones. The warrant noted other serious injuries in varying states of healing that appeared to show a pattern of regular physical abuse.
Police claim Smoak “maliciously [caused] a child under the age of 18 cruel or excessive physical or mental pain by hitting, burning and beating.”
Smoak allegedly fled the Atlanta home in a white Mercedes-Benz the day before Cobee was found, taking with her Cobee’s brother Kayden and two other children. She was arrested three days later near Augusta, roughly 140 miles away, after a multi-day search.
Jenkins, who had been staying in the home with Smoak when Cobee was killed, faces charges of murder and cruelty to children. Smoak faces murder, aggravated assault, and cruelty to children charges.
Cobee’s family has been left shattered by the loss. “He was 4; he was just the sweetest little boy ever, always smiling, and he loved his mommy; both of them did,” the boy’s aunt told 11 Alive.
A GoFundMe launched by Cobee’s great-aunt seeks to raise money for funeral and medical expenses. The great-aunt claimed that Cobee’s father and other family members had previously expressed concerns about his safety and had “made attempts to intervene,” including contacting authorities.
The tribute on the fundraising page remembered Cobee as “affectionate, playful, and full of energy.”
“He loved to eat, loved to play, and had a special way of making the funniest little faces just to make everyone smile,” the tribute continued. “He was our little burst of sunshine, always full of life and personality.”
Both Smoak and Jenkins remain in custody as the investigation continues.