Tragic Loss: ‘Lion King’ Child Star Imani Smith Killed at 26 — Suspect in Custody

Imani Smith, the actress who played Young Nala in Disney’s The Lion King on Broadway from 2011 to 2012, has died at the age of 26. According to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office in New Jersey, she was stabbed on December 21 in Edison, NJ.

Police responded to a 911 call and found Smith with serious stab wounds. She was rushed to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Authorities later arrested 35-year-old Jordan D. Jackson-Small in connection with her death.

The prosecutor’s office confirmed that Smith and Jackson-Small knew each other before the incident, saying, “Thus it was not a random act of violence.” Smith’s aunt, Kira Helper, added in a GoFundMe post that Jackson-Small was Smith’s boyfriend.

Jackson-Small was taken into custody without incident. He is facing several charges, including first-degree murder, second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to support Smith’s grieving family. The page said the funds will help her parents care for her young son while supporting their other children during this difficult time.

“Grieving their daughter while stepping in to raise her young son and support their two other children during this traumatic time,” the page reads. The fundraiser aimed to raise $55,000 and has already reached $47,000.

Smith is survived by her 3-year-old son, her parents Monique Rance-Helper and Rawni Helper, her aunt, and two younger siblings.

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