Imani Dia Smith, a Broadway actress widely known for her role as Young Nala in the stage production of The Lion King, has been stabbed to death at her home in New Jersey. She was 25 years old.
The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office said police responded to an emergency call reporting a stabbing at a residence on Grove Avenue at about 9:18 a.m. on December 21.
“Upon their arrival to a residence on Grove Avenue, they discovered Imani Smith, 26, of Edison with stab wounds,” the office stated. “Smith was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where she was ultimately pronounced deceased.”
Investigators arrested Smith’s boyfriend, 35-year-old Jordan D. Jackson-Small, in connection with the killing. Authorities confirmed the two knew each other, ruling out a random act of violence.
“Moreover, Smith and Jackson-Small knew each other before the incident; thus, it was not a random act of violence,” prosecutors said.
Jackson-Small was taken into custody without resistance following initial investigations. He has been charged with 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 firearm.
“Jackson-Small is being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Centre pending the outcome of his pre-trial detention hearing,” the statement added.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, Smith’s family launched a GoFundMe campaign, which had raised more than $50,000 as of December 25.
Her aunt, Kira Helper, wrote on the fundraiser page, “She leaves behind a 3-year-old son, her parents, her two younger siblings, and an extended family, friends, and community who loved her so very much.
