Four-year-old Cobee Cooks was found dead beneath a pile of clothes in a closet during a welfare check at an Atlanta home on Oct. 26. Two women have been arrested in connection with his death. (Foto: Instagram)
Cobee Cooks, a 4-year-old boy, was found dead beneath a pile of clothes in a closet at a home in Atlanta, Georgia. Police discovered him on Oct. 26 while conducting a welfare check. Two women have been arrested in connection with his death.
Police found more than 20 injuries on Cooks’ body, including cuts, burns and possible fractures, according to information reported by the New York Post and Fox 5 Atlanta. Officers found him upstairs in the home. An initial assessment indicated he had been dead for between 12 and 24 hours.
The investigation began after the father of Jasmaine Smoak, 32, called 911 on Oct. 26. He told authorities that his daughter had said a child was unconscious after taking medication. According to an arrest warrant, Cooks died after suffering multiple blows and injuries to his liver and spleen. The document also describes wounds in different stages of healing; investigators said those injuries could point to repeated abuse.
Smoak, a friend of Cooks’ mother, was identified as the person responsible for caring for the boy and other children under her supervision. She was arrested three days after Cooks was found, near Augusta. Authorities say she had left Atlanta in a white Mercedes-Benz with the victim’s brother and two other children. Smoak faces charges of murder, aggravated assault and cruelty to children.
Jasmine Jenkins, 30, who was also at the home, was arrested and charged with murder and cruelty to children. Cooks’ mother is reportedly being held in Georgia’s Clarke County, according to U.S. media reports. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances of Cooks’ death and each woman’s alleged role.
