Tragic Discovery: 5-Year-Old Found in Bay After Mother Allegedly Commits Unthinkable Act

A Florida mother faces a first-degree murder charge after allegedly killing her 5-year-old son and concealing his body in a trash bag, which was later discovered near a bay’s shoreline.

Authorities have indicted 36-year-old Jalynda Smith for the murder of her son, Ja’Kaiden Smith, who had autism and was nonverbal. The indictment was issued on Thursday in Escambia County, following allegations that the crime occurred in early February, with attempts to conceal the grim act, as detailed in court documents.

According to an arrest warrant and a pretrial detention motion, Smith allegedly wrapped Ja’Kaiden in blankets and towels before placing him in a black trash bag and discarding it in Perdido Bay. Prosecutors suspect that Smith starved her son to death, as his body was found severely underweight, at just 20 pounds.

The arrest warrant describes the harrowing condition of Ja’Kaiden’s body: “The arms and legs of the child appeared to be skin draped over bone and the overall mass appeared inconsistent with the expected mass of a 5-year-old child.” It further notes, “The torso and extremities of the child appeared to be absent of meaningful muscle and the child appeared emaciated. I could see the outline of the child’s rib cage through the skin and the lower abdomen was sunken inward, toward the back.”

The tragic discovery was made on February 6 when Ja’Kaiden’s body was retrieved from Perdido Bay, having been spotted along Lillian Highway. Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons told local ABC affiliate WEAR that a passerby noticed the bag and alerted the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, prompting an investigation.

The investigation revealed that Smith’s mother had reported her and Ja’Kaiden missing on Feb. 5 after she had not heard from them since Feb. 1. The mom told police that she “was concerned because this lack of communication was unusual and because [Smith’s] phone was disconnected,” according to the pretrial detention motion.

“On February 6, 2026, the defendant’s sister received a text from the defendant from an unknown number,” the motion explains. “The Defendant also emailed her sister and asked her to download the Telegram app. In the email, the defendant also asked her sister not to tell their mother or the police that the defendant contacted her sister.”

According to the arrest warrant, Smith told her sister, “Please don’t tell ma u heard from me and please don’t tell the police ill tell you everything but please download the app Telegram I need to make sure everything is secure and u cant find me.”

Smith allegedly told her sister “she was scared,” and then asked her to call the police and tell them she had found Smith and that Smith was no longer missing. When the sister asked about what happened to Ja’Kaiden, Smith told her, “I came in the house and he was not breathing,” according to the arrest warrant.

“The sister went to the defendant’s apartment,” the detention motion says. “The defendant and [Ja’Kaiden] were not there, sheets were missing from the bed, and the apartment was extremely cold. Neighbors told the sister that they had not seen the defendant in several days, which was unusual.”

Smith was allegedly captured on surveillance footage at a local Walmart and other nearby stores before leaving in a rideshare vehicle. She was eventually located and taken into custody by sheriff’s deputies, with police saying she asked for a lawyer “immediately.”

Ja’Kaiden’s autopsy showed that he was “severely malnourished and dehydrated” at the time of his death. He weighed only 20 pounds and no other injuries were noted.

Police interviewed Ja’Kaiden’s pediatrician and learned that he was diagnosed with autism and had “both speech and language issues,” according to the arrest warrant. Ja’Kaiden weighed 30 pounds in December 2025, per the pediatrician.

“The physician responded that the child losing one-third of his body weight in less than two months was incredibly concerning,” the arrest warrant states. “The fact that Ja’Kaiden Smith’s weight had been permitted to drop by a third indicated to him either abuse through starvation, or medical neglect.”

Smith’s criminal background history includes a 2022 arrest for child neglect after she left Ja’Kaiden “home alone in his crib for several hours,” according to prosecutors. She successfully completed pretrial intervention and a Department of Children and Families investigation was closed after the agency found that Smith “was meeting the child’s needs and Ja’Kaiden Smith was safe with Jalynda Smith,” the arrest warrant says.

Smith is currently being held at the Escambia County Jail without bond. Her next court appearance is set for May 19.