Food Community winner who killed foster daughter sentenced to lifetime in jail

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) – Soon after a 4-working day trial, a former Food Community contestant accused of killing her foster daughter was sentenced to lifestyle in jail.

Ariel Robinson was convicted of homicide by child abuse in the death of 3-12 months-aged Victoria “Tori” Rose Smith, who died at their property on Sellwood Circle in Simpsonville on Jan. 14, 2021. Prosecutors explained Robinson severely defeat the baby with a belt which brought on her to endure inner bleeding.

The jury commenced deliberating close to 12:20 p.m. on Thursday. Immediately after an hour and a fifty percent of deliberation, Robinson was uncovered responsible. She was sentenced to life in prison.

Her husband, Jerry “Austin” Robinson who testified against her, took a plea deal and now faces a sentence of 10 to 20 many years in jail.

Down below is a recap of the trial:

THURSDAY

In closing arguments, Deputy Solicitor Christy Sustakovich claimed the evidence versus Robinson is “overwhelming.”

“The only person who you’ve viewed staying cruel to Tori is this defendant,” Sustakovich explained.

Sustakovich mentioned the defendant’s spouse, Jerry “Austin” Robinson, is a “criminal” who “did not guard Tori.” Austin Robinson has already pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting homicide by kid abuse.

Ariel Robinson’s legal professional, Monthly bill Bouton, also talked about her spouse and informed the jury he has “credibility difficulties.” Mr. Robinson now faces a sentence of 10 to 20 decades in jail.

“He lower a deal,” Bouton informed the jury. “There’s a significant variation in between 10 many years and daily life in jail. He had a great deal to obtain.”

Before, when Ariel Robinson took the stand, she was get over with emotion all through pieces of her testimony. When her lawyer requested what it was like to have 3-yr-outdated Tori in the dwelling, she grew to become incredibly psychological. Crying, Robinson said Tori was “a ideal child” and pretty simple to get together with.

Robinson claimed she never ever observed bruises on Tori’s entire body until eventually later on and turned tearful when describing Tori as her “mini-me.”

When questioned about her husband’s statements to law enforcement that she brutally conquer Tori, she said “He was lying.” When asked why she told police that Tori’s 7-12 months-previous brother brought on Tori’s accidents, Robinson stated he experienced induced bruises in the earlier and she was “trying to be handy.” The defendant did not say her partner induced Tori’s bruises but did testify that he has “one of the scariest styles of anger troubles.”

The prosecution presented a Father’s Day social media publish built by Robinson showing a photograph of her partner with Tori and a caption that contains “There’s not a daddy-daughter duo in the globe who enjoy each and every other extra than these two right here” and “what an wonderful daddy he is.”

In the submit, Robinson stated willpower of the youngsters did not occur from her husband.

The to start with witness named to the stand by the protection on Thursday was a former assistant pastor at Everyday living Restoration Church who was familiar with the Robinsons and their dad and mom. She testified that the defendant’s spouse does not have a standing for remaining truthful.

WEDNESDAY

Robinson informed the judge she does strategy to testify in her have defense. The choose mentioned Robinson’s testimony will consider area Thursday morning. The protection started its case all-around 3:00 p.m. and known as just a single witness to the stand. The officer with the Simpsonville Police Section testified about responding to the Robinsons’ household and inquiring the defendant about the cameras put in diverse rooms.

Before in the working day, the jury viewed footage from a Simpsonville police officer’s entire body camera captured soon just after Tori was taken to the clinic. The video clip showed the defendant in her property with officers as she spelled out the child’s bruises. In the online video, Robinson attributed everything except the abdominal accidents to Tori’s older brother with “anger” concerns. She is listened to claiming she induced the abdominal bruises with her CPR compressions while hoping to support after Tori appeared to be choking on water.

Choose Letitia Verdin warned men and women in the gallery about the graphic nature of photos to be demonstrated. The photographs ended up presented during the testimony of Greenville County Main Healthcare Examiner Dr. Michael Ward, a forensic pathologist.

Dr. Ward testified that Tori was crushed with so a lot pressure it disrupted blood vessels, tore tissue from tissue and permitted blood to obtain in her muscle groups and fats. He described how this could direct to her death.

“If we shed plenty of blood, the heart does not have enough quantity to pump,” Dr. Ward said.

Dr. Ward testified that the accidents do not seem to have been inflicted over time but instead in one party. He also said the absence of any defensive injuries suggests anyone was in a position to hold Tori’s fingers to prevent her from shielding herself while inflicting the blows.

Two acquaintances of the Robinsons testified that they saw the defendant and Tori in the restroom at Everyday living Restoration Church. Robinson’s spouse, Jerry “Austin” Robinson, experienced previously explained to investigators that the fatal beating of Tori stemmed from an incident the evening in advance of when the child vomited on the way to a church services.

Jean Smith and Avery Santiago both equally testified that they noticed Tori undressed in the restroom as Ariel Robinson appeared to wash a garment in the sink.

Smith claimed she questioned Robinson if Tori was ill.

“She explained, ‘No. She eats as well much and would make herself toss up. It’s a recreation,’” Smith testified.

Santiago reported Robinson gave her a equivalent reaction when she questioned what occurred and could listen to Robinson tending to the little one.

“I listened to Ariel say ‘Oh, you are chilly. You’re chilly. Girls that make themselves throw up have earned to be cold,’” Santiago testified.

Sgt. Scott Magaw with the Simpsonville Police Department was the initially state witness termed to the stand. He testified that he noticed bruising on Tori’s human body immediately after responding to the house. Magaw testified that the defendant claimed the bruising to the stomach was from her failed attempts to complete the Heimlich maneuver and that she attributed the leg bruising to a beating from Tori’s 7-yr-aged brother. He also testified that the defendant’s partner voluntarily approached regulation enforcement and instructed them that his wife conquer the child with a brown, leather belt.

TUESDAY

Jerry “Austin” Robinson was the initially witness to get the stand immediately after the jury’s lunchbreak. The prosecutor started by examining how he pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting homicide by child abuse a few of months ago.

Austin Robinson testified about how he and the defendant desired to broaden their family through adoption and how Tori and her two older brothers moved into their household about two months just after his spouse returned from her overall look on the Food Community demonstrate “Worst Cooks in The us.”

Robinson testified that his wife would self-discipline Tori with several belts or a wood paddle when she was induced by Tori’s ingesting routines.

“Sometimes I’d get a piece of (her) food just to help her out,” Robinson testified.

He testified about the last dialogue he had with Tori.

“She was laying on the bed,” Robinson testified. “She explained to me she beloved me and I stated ‘I appreciate you much too.’ I stated, ‘I promise this will not take place again.’ She stated ‘Okay.’”

Testimony commenced with pictures from inside of the Robinsons’ residence exactly where initial responders uncovered Tori unresponsive. The prosecution referred to as a former sergeant with the Greenville County Forensic Division to the stand. Jonathan Hamilton, now a deputy coroner, testified about going to the Robinson family’s property to stick to up on what experienced grow to be an investigation into a scenario of child abuse or neglect.

The state’s 2nd witness of the working day was Beau Givens, with the Simpsonville Fireplace Section, who testified that he responded to a simply call about a drowning at the Robinsons’ house. Givens reported he arrived to see a colleague doing CPR on the child and then took in excess of with the chest compressions.

Givens said whilst he was tending to Tori, Robinson reported Robinson claimed that Tori experienced been continually drinking water in advance of going limp.

As initiatives continued to revive Tori, Givens testified that some of her apparel had to be eliminated, which then discovered the extent of bruising of her human body.

Givens testified that Robinson volunteered an explanation by indicating that Tori’s 7-calendar year-previous brother has anger challenges and hits her.

“When she explained that, that’s when I obtained worried this is terrible,” Givens.

Givens testified that he observed the older brother a shorter time afterwards and remarked on his small stature.

“I never treatment if you give the kid a ball bat,” Givens said. “He’s not going to be equipped to do this a great deal injury to the minimal girl.”

Paramedic Ken Koller with Greenville County EMS testified about performing more measures to revive Tori, who confirmed no heart action. He testified hearing Robinson attributing the bruises to her more mature brother. Koller testified the injuries appeared much more constant with what an grownup would inflict.

“All this is from the brother?” Koller recalled saying.

The prosecution known as Jaime Anderson-Pearson, a keep manager with the CVS in Simpsonville, to the stand. Anderson-Pearson testified about a request from legislation enforcement for surveillance online video that captured Austin Robinson’s stop by to the retail outlet.

MONDAY

In a pretrial motion on Monday, a decide dominated to allow for two of three human body camera films from the day of Smith’s demise to be played in court. The Robinsons’ defense attorney did not want the films admitted in court docket for the reason that he stated Ariel Robinson was not read through her Miranda rights just before statements she created in the films.

Right after jury selection wrapped up, opening statements began close to 2:15 p.m. Fifteen jurors – a few of them alternates – have been seated in the case.

“You’ll hear the devastating principle of situations that go from Tori hoping to consume some pancakes to a youngster crushed to a pulp,” stated prosecutor Christy Sustakovich.

Prosecutors explained Jerry “Austin” Robinson will testify in the trial about the beating they say led to Tori’s demise.

“You’ll listen to how Austin Robinson walked into the residence and sees Ariel keeping a belt earlier mentioned Tori,” Sustakovich claimed. “He states ‘Ariel, you’ve long gone too considerably. You have absent much too far this time.’”

The youngster endured inner bleeding in her legs, photos of which have been ruled admissible in courtroom.

William Bouton, Robinson’s protection lawyer, urged the jury not to rush to judgment. He reported his 30-year-previous shopper is a former center school instructor with a master’s degree from Clemson University. Bouton claimed the Robinsons satisfied in substantial school, married and experienced two biological small children of their have.

“These photographs of this weak child are horrific and I be concerned that you see these photographs and your to start with instinct is, ‘I gotta hold anyone accountable’ and that is not what your task is,” reported Bouton. “Your work is to contemplate what the evidence is and make a resolve that the state has proven that my client is the one particular who committed this criminal offense.”

The state’s first witness was Cpl. Karlee Patrikis with the Simpsonville Law enforcement Division. The court docket performed a recording captured by Patrikis’ entire body digital camera when she responded to the 911 connect with to the Robinsons’ dwelling.

In the recording, Ariel Robinson is heard declaring that Tori’s 7-year-aged brother, Jaden, who was also the Robinsons’ foster child, triggered the injuries.

“She bruises actually lousy. She has delicate pores and skin. Her brother kicks her and kicks her. He has anger issues. He’s been in treatment for it,” Robinson claims.

The second witness for the point out was Investigator Jay Weibel, who testified about using pics of Tori in the clinic, as life assistance and medication stored her alive. He said he did not believe Tori’s brother brought about his sister’s accidents.

“It was learned that Jaden is a quite compact boy or girl and (with) his measurement in contrast to Tori’s…we did not truly feel that he was able of inflicting that sum of harm or harm to Victoria,” Weibel testified.

If observed guilty, Robinson could be powering bars for the relaxation of her lifestyle.

Robinson’s spouse pleaded responsible to aiding and abetting homicide by child abuse on April 14. He will be sentenced right after Ariel Robinson’s trial.

“We are extremely grateful to the jury for their close attention and do the job on this devastating case. This jury experienced to see and hear issues that ended up certainly horrific. We are very grateful for the verdict in this tragic scenario. There are no winners in a scenario like this one particular. We can not convey Tori back but she will usually live on in our memories. I have figured out in these situations, the finest you can hope for is justice and the jury introduced specifically that. May perhaps sweet Victoria Rose Smith rest in everlasting peace permanently.”

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