Jasmaine Smoak, 32, was arrested in Wilkes County after Atlanta homicide detectives linked their investigation to the Washington, Georgia, area. The arrest followed the discovery of 4-year-old Colby Walker’s body inside a southwest Atlanta home on Monday evening, Oct. 26. Smoak is not the child’s mother and faces charges of second-degree cruelty to children and concealing the death of another person. Investigators are still working to determine how Colby died.
Atlanta police began investigating around 7:20 p.m. Monday after receiving a call requesting a welfare check at 3507 Cardinal Drive SW. Officers arrived at the home but could not contact anyone inside. Information provided during the call led police to request assistance from Atlanta Fire Rescue.
Fire crews forced their way into the home and searched inside. They found Colby dead. No one else was inside when the emergency crews entered. Police then called homicide detectives to take over the investigation and determine the circumstances surrounding the boy’s death.
Detectives obtained a search warrant and began gathering evidence at the property. The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office was notified and also responded to the scene. As investigators worked through the night, they identified a person of interest and followed leads that took them beyond Atlanta.
The investigation led detectives to Wilkes County, where they contacted the sheriff’s office for assistance. Deputies searched for a vehicle connected to the case and eventually located it in the Washington area. They then approached a home and arrested Smoak without incident.
Smoak was taken to the Wilkes County Jail. The charges reported against her were second-degree cruelty to children and concealing the death of another person. Authorities indicated that additional charges could be filed after the autopsy results become available. The case remains under investigation, and the charges are allegations rather than proof of guilt.
Smoak’s reported criminal history has also become part of the public discussion surrounding the arrest. Records cited in the original report list 12 previous arrest cycles involving shoplifting, theft by taking, probation violations, failure to appear, aggravated assault and carrying a weapon without a license. Earlier booking photographs show that she had been arrested before Monday’s discovery. However, those records do not explain the circumstances of Colby’s death or establish responsibility for it.
Authorities also reported that other children who were with Smoak were not hurt. The Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office notified the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services. Officials have not provided further details about those children or explained their relationship to Smoak.
The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office has not released Colby’s cause or manner of death. Investigators are awaiting the medical findings as they continue examining the evidence collected at the Atlanta home. Until those results are available, the circumstances leading to the boy’s death remain unclear.
For investigators, the next steps will center on establishing what happened before emergency crews arrived, determining the cause of death and reviewing the evidence gathered during the search. Authorities have not announced any additional charges beyond those already reported. The investigation continues as officials work to answer the questions left by the discovery of Colby’s body.
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