Ariel Robinson, a former contestant and winner of Food Network’s Worst Cooks in America, has been convicted of homicide by child abuse for fatally assaulting her 3-year-old foster daughter.
The verdict was delivered at the end of a four-day trial, during which Robinson testified.
Robinson, 30, was handed a life sentence on Thursday, May 12, by Judge Letitia Verdin.
Robinson’s foster daughter, Victoria Rose Smith, passed away on January 14, 2021, at the age of 3, with an autopsy revealing the cause of death to be blunt force injuries and internal bleeding. Robinson was charged with homicide by child abuse shortly after the child’s death.
Her husband, Jerry, also faced charges and pleaded guilty to homicide by child abuse, admitting to witnessing his wife’s abusive behavior towards the child on multiple occasions without intervening. He also made a false 911 call regarding the incident.
According to Jerry, the fatal assault occurred after Robinson became agitated with Victoria, who had vomited on herself the day prior while the family was en route to church. Video evidence presented during the trial exhibited the events leading up to the tragic incident.
The couple was in the process of adopting the young girl and her siblings, with a final hearing scheduled just days after her death.
Robinson’s family left the courtroom in tears, while Victoria’s biological relatives expressed their relief at the verdict during the sentencing. The prosecution displayed a photo of Victoria and her siblings, and emphasized that Robinson did not acknowledge responsibility for the crime during the trial.
Prior to her involvement in the Food Network competition, Ariel, a former teacher, won $25,000, but her season’s episodes are no longer available for streaming on various platforms.
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