Three-year-old Arya Smith was killed on December 27, 2022, in a North Miami Beach, Florida apartment by her mother, 24-year-old Jellisa Amoya Baxter. The mother first attempted to strangle the child and, when unsuccessful, stabbed her to death. She then called 911 to confess. Police found the child's body with several deep stab wounds to the chest, neck, and face; the child was pronounced dead at the scene. Family members said the mother was stressed due to the child's possible autism and a recent eviction notice. Baxter was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse and is being held without bond.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The WSVN news article states that the mother "called 911 to confess to stabbing and killing her 3-year-old daughter" and police discovered the victim's body with "several deep stab wounds" to her chest, neck and face. The disability memorial further notes that the mother first attempted to strangle the child: "when she couldn't strangle the girl, she stabbed her to death instead."
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Both documents identify the perpetrator as the child's biological mother. The WSVN article states "the mother, identified as 24-year-old Jellisa Amoya Baxter, called 911 to confess to stabbing and killing her 3-year-old daughter." The disability memorial confirms: "Jellisa Baxter (Mother), charged with aggravated child abuse and first-degree murder."
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
The disability memorial lists the child's disability as "Autism" and states that the family said the mother was "stressed" due to "Arya's possible autism." While the word "possible" introduces some uncertainty about the diagnosis, the source explicitly classifies the child under autism as a disability.
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
The WSVN news article states: "Baxter has been charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse. She is being held without bond." The disability memorial confirms: "Jellisa Baxter (Mother), charged with aggravated child abuse and first-degree murder."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
The disability memorial states that "Family said she was 'stressed' due to Arya's possible autism and a recent eviction notice." The WSVN article reports that "Several neighbors told 7News off camera that Baxter had been going through a hard time." While no clinical mental health diagnosis is mentioned, these references to the mother being stressed and going through a hard time reference her mental/emotional state as a contributing factor.
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
The disability memorial provides notable additional details: the mother first attempted strangulation before stabbing, stating "when she couldn't strangle the girl, she stabbed her to death instead." Additionally, a recent eviction notice and the child's possible autism were cited as stressors contributing to the mother's state. This context—that the mother was under housing and caregiving stress—is important for understanding the circumstances and potential systemic prevention opportunities.
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