Atlanta parents charged after toddler found dead in closet

Four-year-old Colby Cooks died in an Atlanta townhome, leaving his family to process a loss that investigators say was caused by blunt force trauma. Police found the boy’s body hidden beneath a pile of clothes in a master bedroom closet around 7:20 p.m. Monday. The discovery occurred during a routine welfare check, ending a period of uncertainty for the four other children living in the home.

Medical examiners determined that Cooks suffered severe injuries, including a lacerated liver and spleen, burns, bruises, and possible broken limbs. The report also noted older healed scars on the child’s body. Authorities estimate the boy died between 12 and 24 hours before officers located his remains.

Jasmaine Smoak, 32, and Jasmine Tyree Jenkins, 30, were arrested in Wilkes County hours after the body was found. Both women face charges of murder and first-degree cruelty to children. According to arrest warrants, Smoak served as the primary caretaker for Cooks and the four other children, none of whom were related to her by blood. Jenkins, a friend of Smoak, also resided in the property.

The warrants state the women left the children unattended Sunday evening to go out. The next day, Smoak called her father to report that an unresponsive child had ingested medication. Her father immediately contacted 911, noting that his daughter had already left the residence. Smoak departed the scene in a Mercedes-Benz with the four surviving children before police tracked her down.

One of the surviving children, a five-year-old, was hospitalized in Augusta. Doctors treated the child for malnourishment and facial injuries they attributed to abuse. Smoak is currently held at Fulton County Jail, while Jenkins remains in Wilkes County awaiting extradition to face her charges.