Worst Cooks in America alum Ariel Robinson’s foster child, Victoria “Tori” Smith, was just days away from being officially adopted by the Food Network star and her husband when the 3-year-old died from blunt force trauma. Investigators learned the child was beaten to death at the hands of Robinson. Robinson recently learned her own fate.
What led to the deadly beating?
Robinson’s husband Jerry, who has also been charged in the crime but pleaded guilty to homicide by child abuse, says he witnessed the ordeal. According to police records, Jerry alleges that he saw his wife lose her temper on several occasions and beat the child but he did not interfere. Still, he says he didn’t agree with her punishment tactics. Jerry was the one who made the 911 call in the case. Investigators later learned that he lied to operators and paramedics about what happened to the child.
As for what happened the day of the beating, Jerry said his wife beat the girl after getting frustrated with her earlier in the night.
“By the time I walked inside, it was as if nothing was going on,” he said. He claimed it began the day before after the child had thrown up on herself while the family was on their way to church.
Video footage shown during the trial showed that the family left the church the day she threw up, with the 3-year-old wearing just undergarments. Jerry says his wife became even more frustrated when the 3-year-old wouldn’t eat her pancakes fast enough the following morning. Sadly, Robinson said the idea to adopt the child was her idea.
Ariel Robinson was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison
People Magazine reports that Robinson was found guilty of the charges. During her sentencing, she was scolded by the judge for her actions. “In my 13-14 years as a judge, I’ve never seen anything like this,” Judge Letitia Verdin said during her sentencing. “Not even approaching it.”
Graphic images of the injuries inflicted on the child were also shown in court. As for her husband Jerry, he has not yet been sentenced. He faces a minimum of 10 to 20 years in prison for homicide by child abuse/aiding and abetting.
