Transcript

Chilling Walmart Footage Exposes a Monster | The Cherish Perrywinkle Case

From Annie Elise · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 1 h 3 min · 11,348 words · 142 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Chilling Walmart Footage Exposes a Monster | The Cherish Perrywinkle Case", an episode of Annie Elise published December 30, 2025 (1 h 3 min, about 11,348 words). It mentions 42 people, works and ideas, including Rain Periwinkle, Dollar General, DCF, DCFS, Nvea.

What this episode is about

On June 21, 2013, a 911 call from Rain Periwinkle revealed a desperate search for her daughter, Cherish, who had allegedly been abducted by a man after a chance encounter at a nearby Dollar General and subsequent trip to a Walmart. The chilling details of the call expose the growing fears and suspicions Rain had about the stranger, ultimately leading to a heartbreaking crime scene and tragic outcome.

Key takeaways

  • Never trust a white van offering shoes; it's a red flag not a fashion trend.
  • Gut instincts save lives; Rain had a bad feeling that foresaw a tragic plot twist.
  • Leaving one life doesn't erase the past; it often haunts the present with new burdens.
  • Dollar store heroics can quickly turn to crime scenes; generosity should always ring alarm bells.
  • From guilty secrets to legal battles, paternity tests reveal more than just DNA matches.

Who speaks in this episode?

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 10:00: Rain Periwinkle, Aaron Pearson, Anna Elise, Billy Jro
  2. – 20:00: Destiny, Clifton Smith, Dollar General, Donald James Smith
  3. – 30:00: One Skin, civil commitment, OS1 peptide, antisocial personality disorder
  4. – 40:00: Dollar General, Cherish Periwinkle, Dr. Valerie Row, Rain Periwinkle
  5. – 50:00: Donald James Smith, Hinsson, Joan Juliet Buck, Melinda Ro
  6. – 1:00:00: Rain Periwinkle, Change of venue, Cherish Periwinkle, Destiny
  7. – 1:02:55: Annie Eliss, Tend to Life, Tend to Life

Notable quotes from "Chilling Walmart Footage Exposes a Monster | The Cherish Perrywinkle Case"

  • On June 21st, 2013, Rain Periwinkle made a 911 call that would lead authorities to one of the most heartbreaking crime scenes that they had ever seen.
    about Rain Periwinkle · at
  • Gut-wrenching. I'm Anna Elise. This is Tend to Life and today we are reopening the case of Cherish Periwinkle.
    about Cherish Periwinkle · at
  • Exotic dancer at a local club. In 2004, while Rain was working at the club, she met a man named Billy Jro, who was in Jacksonville for a short time while serving in the Navy.…
    about Billy Jro · at
  • After Cherish was born, Rain started a long-term on and off-again relationship with a man named Aaron Pearson, and he helped raise Cherish for the majority of her life.…
    about Aaron Pearson · at
  • He and Rain went on to have two daughters together, who they named Destiny and Nvea. Billy, who is now living in San Diego, California, would get Cherish for extended visits.…
    about Destiny · at
  • More critical. And it turned out that Cherish was with one of the most dangerous types of Donald James Smith was born on September 4th, 1956 to his 17-year-old mother, Patricia…
    about Donald James Smith · at
  • Mother and her son. He soon was placed in jail again for violating probation for drug charges. civil commitment proceedings were initiated, meaning that the state of Florida…
    about civil commitment · at
  • Seriously instead of just grabbing whatever was trending online. And that's when I found One Skin. It completely changed how I think about long-term skin health. Instead of…
    about One Skin · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Rain Periwinkle — Person · 7 mentions · first at
  • Nvea — Person · 6 mentions
  • Cherish Periwinkle — Person · 5 mentions · first at
  • Destiny — Person · 5 mentions · first at
  • Donald James Smith — Person · 2 mentions · first at
  • Brian Bates — Person · 2 mentions
  • Anna Elise — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Person ended up with Cherish and what happened to her next, it is absolutely gut-wrenching. I'm Anna Elise. This is Tend to Life and today we are reopening the case of Cherish Periwinkle.
  • Kimberly Hoy — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Rain Periwinkle was born in 1968 in Brisbane, Australia, and originally was given the name Kimberly Hoy. She was only 18 years old when she gave birth to her first daughter…
  • Billy Jro — Person · 1 mention · first at
  • Cherish Lily Periwinkle — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Birth to a little girl on Christmas Eve, December 24th, 2004, and she named her Cherish Lily Periwinkle. Rain called Cherish her Christmas miracle, and she waited nearly 3…
  • Aaron Pearson — Person · 1 mention · first at
  • Patricia Moore — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Dangerous types of Donald James Smith was born on September 4th, 1956 to his 17-year-old mother, Patricia Moore, and a father whom he really had no contact with after his…
  • Clifton Smith — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Grandparents as a young child. When his mother got married to a man named Clifton Smith, Don reportedly begged not to have to leave his grandparents house.
  • Keranne — Person · 1 mention · first at
    In 1993, Dawn approached a 13-year-old girl named Keranne. She was walking alone to a friend's house a few blocks away. He asked her if she wanted a ride, and when she said no, he became angry and told her to get the f in the van.
  • Dr. Valerie Row — Person · 1 mention · first at
    The most harrowing and emotional testimony of the entire trial. Chief medical examiner Dr. Valerie Row has conducted thousands of autopsies in Jacksonville, Florida, but she…
  • Melinda Ro — Person · 1 mention · first at
    After this portion of her testimony, Dr.
  • Hinsson — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Hinsson says he's trying to move ahead, but admits he experiences almost daily flashbacks. a white van or you see somebody walking down the road that's, with a kid, you know,.
  • Joan Juliet Buck — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Witness they called was the 13-year-old girl who Dawn had attempted to abduct in 1992, Carrie Buck.
  • Dr. Heather Holmes — Person · 1 mention · first at
    They also brought up testimony from Dr.
  • Annie Eliss — Person · 1 mention · first at
    The uncensored versions are wherever you get your podcasts and the video versions are on YouTube under my channel Annie Eliss. Make sure you're following the podcast, that you…
  • Navea (NAA) — Person · 1 mention
  • Tamar — Person · 1 mention

Companies & orgs

  • Dollar General — Company · 7 mentions · first at
    I met a man today at Dollar General. He saw that I was struggling to buy them some clothes. He drove us here to buy us some clothes and the only reason I went with him because he said his wife was.
  • DCF — Company · 7 mentions
  • DCFS — Company · 7 mentions
  • One Skin — Company · 3 mentions · first at
  • 911 — Company · 3 mentions
  • Tend to Life — Company · 2 mentions · first at
    Happened to her next, it is absolutely gut-wrenching. I'm Anna Elise. This is Tend to Life and today we are reopening the case of Cherish Periwinkle.
  • Family Dollar — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Their stroller. And with Cherish by her side, they made the onemile walk to the local Family Dollar store. The four shopped around a little bit and Rain bought some of the…
  • Crime Stoppers — Company · 1 mention · first at
    A year in prison. 19 days after his release, an anonymous caller reported a tip to Crimestoppers about Dawn lurking around a Walmart in Jacksonville, Florida, and acting…
  • Florida Supreme Court — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Doesn't end with Dawn sitting on death row. Not even close. Even after the Florida Supreme Court unanimously upheld his conviction and the US Supreme Court basically shrugged…
  • Apple Inc. — Company · 1 mention

Products & tech

  • OS1 peptide — Product · 2 mentions · first at
    Stays healthier over time. And One Skin's hero ingredient is their patented OS1 peptide. The first ingredient proven to target the root cause of wrinkles, loss of firmness, and…

Concepts & topics

  • Tend to Life — Concept · 2 mentions · first at
    Happened to her next, it is absolutely gut-wrenching. I'm Anna Elise. This is Tend to Life and today we are reopening the case of Cherish Periwinkle.
  • civil commitment — Concept · 2 mentions · first at
  • bolo — Concept · 2 mentions
  • antisocial personality disorder — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    That he was attracted to children and was a serious predator. doctor also diagnosed him with antisocial personality disorder and believed his brain injury affected his impulse…
  • Change of venue — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Over the years up until 2022, he has filed several appeals, citing that he should have been given a change of venue, that the attorneys failed to properly defend their client…
  • stranger danger — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    I thought I taught them everything about stranger danger thing, but he was smarter than I was.

Places & events

  • Brisbane, Australia — Place · 1 mention · first at
    Rain Periwinkle was born in 1968 in Brisbane, Australia, and originally was given the name Kimberly Hoy. She was only 18 years old when she gave birth to her first daughter, Lindsay. And Kimberly had a very difficult time.
  • Interstate 95 — Place · 1 mention

Sponsors

Full transcript with timestamps

On June 21st, 2013, Rain Periwinkle made a 911 call that would lead authorities to one of the most heartbreaking crime scenes that they had ever seen.

Contact 911 Robinson. Hi, I'm almost been taken. What do you mean? Taken by a stranger. I can't find her. And

you say you at the Walmart on Lim Turner? Yes, I am. Okay. When was where did you last see her at?

Walmart. I met a man today at Dollar General. He saw that I was struggling to buy them some clothes. He drove us here to buy us some clothes and the only reason I went with him because he said his wife was going to be here because I told him I don't take rides with strangers. Okay, ma'am. watched. He said he was going to McDonald's and he he hasn't been there because the store is closed right now. I had a strange feeling about him when I first met him. He took her to the he took her to the the to the dressing room twice and I was hoping that she would be okay and I was looking at the shoes and I didn't want him to think that I was overly protected, freaking out. that now they're not here. And I find it very odd because he knew that.

Oh, okay. Ma'am, what color vehicle does he drive? It's a white van. I had a bad feeling. I thought, well, I feel like pinching myself because this is too good to be true. So, I got to the checkout. He's not here. Isn't here. And I'm hoping he's not her right now cuz I've had that done to me. It's not fun. She's supposed to go to California in the morning. The plane and he knows as I told him this. He knew when the store was closing. I had a bad feeling about him.

Okay. How long have you been looking for? When was the last time you saw how long ago? about half an hour ago that you've been waiting for her for a half an hour.

Yes. There's nobody in the store and he knew the store was closing. He said he was going to McDonald's. She went with him. I should have told her to stay with me. He wanted her to buy these really tall shoes that were women's shoes. And I told him no. I said they're too high for her. I wouldn't even wear shoes that high. Maybe he was her. I hope to thank God he doesn't kill her. And I hope to thank God he doesn't. I don't want him to kill her. I don't want to be one of those parents that they're going through this.

Oh my god. Rain made that phone call from a Walmart in Jacksonville, Florida. This was after not being able to find her 8-year-old daughter, Cherish. She couldn't find her anywhere in the store. But unlike a lot of other abduction cases that we hear about, Rain knew exactly who had her little girl. And the story of how that person ended up with Cherish and what happened to her next, it is absolutely gut-wrenching. I'm Anna Elise. This is Tend to Life and today we are reopening the case of Cherish Periwinkle.

Rain Periwinkle was born in 1968 in Brisbane, Australia, and originally was given the name Kimberly Hoy. She was only 18 years old when she gave birth to her first daughter, Lindsay. And Kimberly had a very difficult time adjusting to motherhood at such a young age. Kimberly was said to have a very short temper with Lindsay and was more interested in hanging out with friends and partying than taking care of her new daughter. Kimberly's mother and older sister would step in to raise Lindsay and eventually became her primary caretakers due to Kimberly hardly ever being around. In 1991, Kimberly took off to America, abandoning Lindsay completely and leaving her in the care of her family when she was only 5 years old. Kimberly realized that she could have a life of freedom in America without the responsibility of being a mom and she decided to settle in Jacksonville, Florida. She eventually

decided to change her name to Rain Periwinkle in an attempt to develop an entirely new persona and leave the person that she was, the old original Kimberly, back in Australia and behind for good. Rain would quickly realize how difficult starting a new life completely from scratch really was. Especially when you have no help from family who live all the way across the world and who you have essentially left your child with. She needed to get money to support herself quickly. And she decided the best way to do that was to become an exotic dancer at a local club. In 2004, while Rain was working at the club, she met a man named Billy Jro, who was in Jacksonville for a short time while serving in the Navy. One thing led to another, and Rain and Billy had a one night stand with really no plans of ever seeing each other again. However, a few months later, Rain would realize that she was pregnant, and the timing pointed

directly to Billy being the father. She told the friends that she had made in Florida that this was her very first pregnancy and they had no idea about her old life and her existing daughter Lindsay that she had left behind in Australia years before. So Rain gave birth to a little girl on Christmas Eve, December 24th, 2004, and she named her Cherish Lily Periwinkle. Rain called Cherish her Christmas miracle, and she waited nearly 3 years before she tracked Billy down to let him know that she had a daughter who was more than likely his.

After Cherish was born, Rain started a long-term on and off-again relationship with a man named Aaron Pearson, and he helped raise Cherish for the majority of her life. However, due to their financial difficulties, Rain decided to bring Billy to court to get child support for Cherish. But Billy wanted to do a paternity test to make sure that this little girl was actually his. Rain denied a paternity test at first, but to get the child support for Cherish, the court ordered that she proved that Billy really be the father. When the paternity test came back as a match, Billy immediately wanted to become involved in his little girl's life that he had already missed so much of. Over the next several years, the courts would slowly grant Billy more and more time with his daughter, Cherish. And it took a while for them to bond together as father and daughter since he had missed those crucial first couple of years of her

life. At one point, Billy even took Rain to court to try to gain full custody because he didn't agree with the living conditions that she was having cherish in or the lifestyle that she was subjecting their daughter to. You see, Rain was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after seeking mental health treatment in the early 2000s. and she had a very hard time holding down a steady job due to her long periods of depression and other periods of erratic and impulsive behavior. When she did have a place to live, it was usually unsuitable for anyone, let alone a small child to live in. Billy and Rain rarely saw eye to eye on how to raise their daughter, and he felt like it would be in the best interest for Cherish, to live with him full-time. Cherish was a sweet, playful, and bright little girl. She loved swimming, riding her bike, coloring, and was pretty well adjusted considering the life of chaos that she was thrown into

at just such a young age. Even though she and Rain moved a lot, and her mother's behavior was unpredictable at times, she was said to be happy and very trusting of people. In 2006, Rain and Cherish were living in a homeless shelter, and this would be the start of DCFS getting involved in their life. Over the years, red flags weren't just popping up around Little Cherish. They were practically screaming. There were five separate DCF investigations involving the adults who were supposed to protect her. The first one happened in January of 2006. Staff at the daycare that's attached to the homeless shelter where Rain was living noticed that something was off. See, Rain wasn't late to pick up Cherish by just 5 minutes or 10 minutes or even an hour. She was sometimes 3 hours late picking her up. 3 hours, which imagine being that young, that tiny, just sitting and waiting and not understanding why no one is coming.

A few months later, another report was filed. This time, daycare staff workers actually witnessed Rain shaking Cherish when she was crying. And let that just sink in for a moment. A toddler is crying and the response that she was met with was violence. Then in 2009, things spiraled once again. This time, Rain attempted to take her own life bying on allergy medication. She was hospitalized and yes, another DCF investigation, which it's just heartbreaking because at this point, Cherish wasn't just living in chaos, she was being shaped by it. By 2012, the cycle just continued, too. DCF got involved yet again. This time after a huge blowout fight between Rain and her boyfriend Aaron. And here's where it gets even more frustrating. Despite all of this, and despite Billy, Cherish's dad, actually wanting custody, Cherish stayed with Rain. But, you know, before we get ahead of ourselves and like crown

Billy the hero, don't worry. DCF had a lot of questions about him, too. Back in 2009, Billy allegedly spanked Cherish and spanked her so hard that his handprint remained on her body, like the impression of his hand, which it's so awful to think about. And she was so terrified by this that she apparently wet herself, which that image alone tells you everything that you need to know, right? So, here's the truth in all of it. Every single adult in Cherish's world failed her in some way. The people who were supposed to be her safe place, who were supposed to protect her, they weren't safe at all. Yet still, Cherish and Rain, they eventually moved in with Rain's boyfriend, Aaron. And that decision would change everything. Aaron had one son from a previous relationship, a previous marriage, and he and Rain went on to have two daughters together, who they named Destiny and Nvea. Billy, who is now

living in San Diego, California, would get Cherish for extended visits. And in June of 2013, she was set to come and spend the whole summer with him. On June 21st, 2013, Rain was getting Cherish ready for her summer in California to go and spend time with her dad. It wasn't unlike Rain to wait until the last minute, and she still needed to get Cherish a few more clothes items and some shoes to take on her trip. So, Cherish needed to be up at 4:00 a.m. the next morning to make her flight, which she would be taking all alone all the way from one side of the country to the other. At only 8 years old, Aaron gave Rain a $100 bill to buy Cherish some clothes and told her to only spend 40 of that so that they would have enough for the cab to the airport in the morning.

So, Cherish loaded up Destiny and Naa in their stroller. And with Cherish by her side, they made the onemile walk to the local Family Dollar store. The four shopped around a little bit and Rain bought some of the items they needed for the home before walking across the street to a Dollar General. Rain and the girls looked at the clothing and the shoes and Cherish found a dress that she really liked that was covered in little hearts. The dress didn't have a price tag, so when they walked up to the checkout, Rain asked the cashier how much the dress cost. When the cashier told her how much it cost, Rain realized she wouldn't have enough money to get the dress and the other things that she needed to get Cherish for her trip. So, Cherish was really sad that she had to put that dress back. And Rain noticed a man standing near the front of the store, who seemed to be listening to their conversation with the cashier. She

didn't think much of it because the man walked out of the store while they paid for their items. When the family walked out of the store, though, the man from inside approached them and said, "If you really want that dress, I'll buy it for you." Rain didn't know what to think about his offer and his generosity. because in her experience, men hadn't offered to buy her things unless there was some other motive. He then told her that he actually had a $150 gift card for the Walmart and that he was waiting for his wife to bring it to him. He said Rain could use it for her children because he could tell that she had her hands full and was struggling buying the items. Rain still felt a little uneasy by this, but the more they talked and the more she talked to the man who introduced himself now as Dawn, the more comfortable she started to feel. He talked about his wife and their little ones and how he worked with children and

attended a local church. Rain decided to wait for Dawn's wife to come with the gift card because now she was feeling desperate because at this point she was now feeling a little more secure and she was feeling desperate not being able to send Cherish on her trip with any new clothes or shoes that fit her. They waited for around 10 minutes and Rain told him that she had to get Cherish up really early to make her flight to California and she wondered how long his wife would be. It had started to rain at this point in the parking lot and the girls were having fun jumping in the puddles and playing with their umbrellas while they waited. Finally, this man, Dawn, took a phone call and said that he could just drive them all to Walmart and his wife would meet them there with the gift card. Rain felt apprehensive and said that she'd rather wait for his wife there. But then Dawn kind of got an attitude and said, "You don't have to do

this." Kind of like, "I'm doing you a favor." In that kind of way. Rain didn't want to seem paranoid or untrusting because she didn't want him to get annoyed with her and then decide to leave. She really wanted that gift card for her girls. And she felt like coming across as rude or refusing to get in the van would ruin her opportunity to get the things that she really needed. Finally, Rain decided to load up her daughters into Dawn's white van and ride to Walmart, which was only a short drive away. Rain rode up front and on their way, they continued to make small talk.

He asked how old all of the girls were Rain worked and talked about his life as well. So Rain by this rather than seeing the red flags started to feel even more comfortable and like Dawn was an older grandpa type guy who just wanted to help her and her family out. When they arrived at Walmart, they waited for Dawn's wife for about 10 more minutes and even though Dawn's phone didn't ring, he picked it up and said, "Okay, see you soon." Rain figured that his phone was maybe on silent and he said his wife was on her way. He told the family to go ahead and start shopping and that he would meet them in the girls department with the gift card in a few minutes. Now, I can see where you might be becoming more trusting in this moment because he's allowing you out of the car. He's allowing you into Walmart into a public place if his goal in your mind if you're his goal or perhaps goal was going to be to kidnap you all or the

girls, he wouldn't let you out of the van after he got you inside. So, I could see where maybe you would become more trusting in this moment. Like, okay, I got myself worked up for nothing. See, we're in Walmart. This is real. This is legit. So, Rain and the girls walked inside and she quickly started picking out items for the girls and then placing them inside the cart. She made little piles for Cherish, Naa, and Destiny. And to them, $150 for clothing felt like a shopping spree. So, a few minutes later, Dawn comes in and he joins the family in the girls department. Rain said that Dawn kind of stood back and watched while the girls shot and he only put one item in the cart of his own, which was a bundle of rope. So any security you're feeling in that moment and I would think goes out the window when you see that he is putting a huge thing of rope in his basket. And because of this, Rain has

been criticized for her trusting of Dawn. But she still for some reason allowed him to take Cherish to the dressing room two different times to try on clothing. He and Cherish also looked at the shoes and he gave her a pair to go ask her mom if she could have. And the shoes were high heels and Rain said that she wouldn't even wear those type of shoes, let alone let her 8-year-old daughter wear them. She told Cherish to put the shoes back and felt like it was kind of strange, but figured the older men just didn't know what kind of shoes little girls wear. At around 1000 p.m., the girls were all getting really fussy because they hadn't eaten any dinner.

From across the girls section, Dawn mouthed and motioned to rain with his hand, "What do you want to eat?" Cherish ran over to her mom and sisters and said, "We're going to McDonald's. What do you want to eat?" The McDonald's was inside the Walmart just at the front of the store. And Rain told her to tell Don that they just wanted some cheeseburgers. Don started to walk away and Cherish caught up behind to go with him to McDonald's. Rain wasn't worried at this point because there were a lot of people around and she knew that Cherish would never leave with a stranger without asking. When Dawn and Cherish approached the McDonald's, he felt around in his pocket as if to be looking for his wallet. It appeared that he had forgotten his wallet in the van, coincidentally. So, he and Cherish made their way to the parking lot. After around 20 minutes, Rain started to wonder where Dawn and Cherish were. And

a few minutes later, the intercom made an announcement that the store would be closing soon. Rain and the girls pushed their cart to the checkout lanes and started looking for Dawn and Cherish. They went up and down all of the lanes to the McDonald's and the grocery section, but there was no sign of them. Rain started to get a little worried, but was sure that they were somewhere inside of the store. She told Destiny and Na to wait by the customer service area, and the more she looked, the faster she started walking through all of the aisles until she was eventually running frantically through the entire store. In a panic, she yelled out, "Someone call 911. My daughter has been taken." Rain had left her phone in Dawn's van. But it wasn't working properly anyway because one of the girls had spilled water on it a few days prior. Every horrible possibility started to run through Rain's mind, and

a Walmart associate quickly allowed her to use their phone to call 911. At first, even though Rain explicitly said that her daughter had been taken, the dispatcher called in Cherish as a missing person rather than an abduction. When the police arrived, they initially didn't believe Rain's story about Cherish being abducted, but that was until they viewed the surveillance footage and saw Dawn and Cherish walk to the parking lot and drive away in his van. When they were able to identify who the man was, the situation became even more critical. And it turned out that Cherish was with one of the most dangerous types of Donald James Smith was born on September 4th, 1956 to his 17-year-old mother, Patricia Moore, and a father whom he really had no contact with after his birth. They lived with Patricia's parents, and Dawn developed a very close relationship with his grandparents as a young child. When his

mother got married to a man named Clifton Smith, Don reportedly begged not to have to leave his grandparents house. And ultimately, the life that they began with his stepfather would turn out to be extremely traumatic. Over the years, Patricia's husband was said to be very inappropriate with her son, Dawn, and there were even allegations that he had touched Dawn inappropriately. Clifton's job required the family to move frequently, which caused Dawn to struggle with making friends and to endure ruthless bullying at all of his new schools. It was even said that he had even paid other children to play with their toy and that he never quite fit in with any of his peers. When Dawn was 8 years old, two teenage boys who lived in his neighborhood ended up touching him inappropriately on multiple occasions. They also forced him to watch them do the same thing much more violently to other little girls in their

neighborhood as well. This had a profound effect on Dawn and his mother said that only a few years later at 10 years old he started to expose himself to other children. It was said that during this time he also endured a traumatic brain injury on the right side of his head that permanently altered his personality going forward. As a teenager, he began heavily using substances and had his first run-ins with the law. After committing burglaries to fuel his drug habit, he was sentenced to several years in prison where he was attacked by two fellow inmates after dropping the soap, if you catch my drift. When he was released, his lewd behavior would only escalate.

But he seemed to always slip through the cracks of any system designed to protect the public from people with this type of issue. As a young adult, Dawn was known around town as a creep who flashed himself to children at local playgrounds. It wasn't until 1977 that he was finally convicted of behavior toward a minor, and this was for exposing himself to a girl under the age of 10 and touching himself in the presence of a 5-year-old. He served one year in jail and then was placed on probation after being categorized as a mentally disordered offender. In 1981, he was arrested for violating his probation, and he was sentenced to 5 years in prison. In 1991, he pleaded guilty to burglary and grand theft. And even though he could have been sentenced to 15 years, he only received 4 months.

In 1993, Dawn approached a 13-year-old girl named Keranne. She was walking alone to a friend's house a few blocks away. He asked her if she wanted a ride, and when she said no, he became angry and told her to get the f in the van. Kerianne started running and then Dawn threw his car into drive and drove behind her, cutting her off at an intersection. The girl ran as fast as she could to her friend's house and started banging on the door to let her in, but nobody was home. Terrified, she ran through yards until she got to a playground behind a local elementary school. But Don saw her run behind the school, and she thought that he was going to catch her. Using her wits and smarts, she quickly climbed into a tube slide while Dawn drove his truck to the back parking lot of the school. She used her hands and her feet to press against the tube slide from inside to keep herself from slipping down. And she

waited for what felt like hours as she could hear Dawn's van still running in the parking lot. He shouted out the window at her, "I know you're in there, you little bitch." And Kerianne was terrified that he knew that she was in the slide. Finally, she heard the van pull away, but made sure to wait a few more minutes before climbing out of the slide and running home. When she got there, she told her parents what happened. A few days later, Kerenne and her mom could see Dawn's white van sitting outside of her house. This enraged her mother, and she went outside, causing him to drive away. She and Kerenne jumped in the car and sped behind him, writing down the license plate number to the van. They turned the number into the police, and Dawn was quickly arrested. For this, he could have faced life in prison for the attempted kidnapping alone due to him being a habitual offender. But once again, he skated by and only received 6

years in prison. After his release in 2001, his stepfather died and Dawn inherited $100,000, which he blew in less than 3 months on substances. Even though his mother, Patricia, knew about this, she was in denial that her son had a drug problem. And it's been said that throughout Dawn's entire life, she always made excuses for him. It's even been said that his mother treated him more like a partner than a son. And that they had a very strange Norman and Norma Bates like closeness, which I don't know if you've ever if you're familiar with the Bates story and all that, but it's a very odd super close relationship between a mother and her son. He soon was placed in jail again for violating probation for drug charges. civil commitment proceedings were initiated, meaning that the state of Florida believed that he should be committed to a mental hospital for the safety of others and so that he

could undergo extensive counseling to determine if he would be likely to reaffend. People who are committed to these programs must stay until they are deemed to no longer pose a risk to themselves or others. And in 2002, he was released. As a condition of his release, he said that he would undergo outpatient treatment and receive injections of a drug that would suppress his sex drive. By 2003, he started refusing to take the shots and stopped participating in that treatment program. He was arrested several more times over the next few years. And in 2006, he was evaluated again for civil commitment due to concern of his repeat offenses and impulse control. However, this time he didn't meet the criteria even though the doctor that did the evaluation stated that he was attracted to children and was a serious predator. doctor also diagnosed him with antisocial personality disorder and believed his

brain injury affected his impulse control and sexually deviant proclivities. Over the next couple of years, there was even a point when Don Baker acted himself, which is Florida's version of a 5150 or involuntary mental health treatment. He said he was experiencing hallucinations and had thoughts. After treatment, he was released without supervision. In 2012, Dawn was arrested again, this time for impersonating a DCFS worker and attempting to conduct a RP kit on a 9-year-old child. He also called the child and said very disturbing things to them on the phone before it was discovered that he actually was not an employee with DCFS. And it was quickly reported to the police. He plead guilty to the charges, but he only spent around a year in prison. 19 days after his release, an anonymous caller reported a tip to Crimestoppers about Dawn lurking around a Walmart in Jacksonville, Florida, and acting strangely toward

women with children. 2 days later, Don met Rain Periwinkle and her daughters at that very same Walmart. The charges we just went over are only some of Dawn's charges, as he has over four decades of offenses like this, as well as multiple psychologist reports stating that he was in fact a danger to society. He kept being released like a monster being let out of a cage. And this time, this absolute monster and freak was in possession of 8-year-old Cherish Periwinkle, who he had taken from Walmart. Can we just talk about New Year's resolutions for a second? January used to be totally about like reinventing myself, but now it's more like editing what's already working and then doubling down on the things that actually make a difference, which for me that started with taking my skin health very seriously instead of just grabbing whatever was trending online. And that's when I found One Skin. It completely

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That's up to 30% off with code 102life at www.1skin.co10tolife. After you purchase, they'll ask where you heard about them. Please choose my show. Tell them that I sent you. Again, that's oneskin.co/10tolife for 30% off. After the detectives viewed Dawn driving off with Cherish around 11:30 p.m., they placed a bolo out for his white van. And a bolo is a be on the lookout. This would later be criticized as a mistake because they knew the vehicle and the description of both Dawn and Cherish and should have immediately sent out an Amber Alert for community members to be on the lookout as well. It wasn't until 4 hours after she was taken that an Amber Alert was finally issued. It took 6 hours for the media to be notified of the abduction. At 5:30 a.m., the local Jacksonville news station put out photos of Cherish, Dawn, and his van. 3 hours later, a citizen called the tip line to report seeing the van from the newscast

and seeing the van suspiciously parked behind a church and pulled far into the bushes.

Hi, we calling about a suspicious van over here on a white van. It was parked behind some bushes really deep and then we heard that it was it's not there anymore, but we don't know if he dumped anything cuz we heard a girl just got abducted from Walmart,

right? So, we are not sure if that's the van, but a white van was pushed all the way to the back of the bushes

this morning. This morning, near some bushes, right behind the church. While some officers made their way to check out the church, a female officer on Interstate patrol saw the white van driving down Florida Interstate I95. She began following the van and requested that another officer join her in the pursuit before pulling the van over. Less than 10 minutes later, the officers turned their lights on to initiate a felony arrest. This is different from a normal traffic stop because instead of the officer approaching the vehicle, they command the driver to exit the vehicle with their hands up. On the officer's dash cam, Dawn was seen exiting his vehicle. When the officer approached Dawn to pat him down, he realized that the lower half of his body was completely soaked. The officer immediately yelled out to the officer, "Oh my god, she's in the water." When the initial female officer in the

pursuit took Dawn to the police station, the other officer raced to the church where the citizen had said that they saw his van earlier that morning. When he got there, he yelled, "Where's the water? Where's the water?" He was pointed in the direction behind the church and started making his way with his canine through a marshy area with very tall grass. He noticed that the grass appeared to be pushed down, forming a trail that someone had clearly walked through. He saw the trail of tall grass ending at a fallen tree in about 7 in of water. As he approached the tree, he could see long flowy brunette hair floating in the water and a child in an orange dress pushed up against the tree and she was weighed down with chunks of asphalt. The officer was overcome with emotion when he realized that his own little girl owned the exact same dress as the child in the water. They found Cherish Periwinkle, but it was too late.

The officer waited there with her, knowing that there were probably alligators nearby, and he wanted to protect her from anything else that could harm her any further. He waited with Cherish until crime scene investigators arrived and took over the scene. In California, Billy, who was Cherish's biological dad, got a call that completely knocked him off his feet. He always had a feeling that Cherish wouldn't be safe unless she was with him. And now his worst nightmare had become a reality. She was supposed to arrive in California for her vacation with her dad that day, and instead he was getting the call that his daughter was dead. Rain was obviously beside herself as well and blamed herself for trusting that someone would want to help her and her family. Dawn waited in the interrogation room for over an hour before detectives came in to question him. When they asked him what he had done that morning, he said that he had

been doing drugs with some female adult workers. When they asked why he was wet from the waist down, he said it's because he sweats a lot when he's on drugs. The officers then told him that they had him on surveillance at Walmart leaving with Cherish Periwinkle. And at that point, he asked for a lawyer.

Have a seat. Be with you a little bit. Donald Smith is led into an interview room on the morning of his arrest as JSO detectives try to get answers.

What's your name? Donald Smith. Donald Smith. Yes. Investigators leave Smith in the room. He sits back and closes his eyes. More than an hour later, homicide detectives come back and read Smith his rights.

If you do answer questions, you have the right to stop answering questions at any time. Consult a lawyer. You understand that? The murder suspect had no intention of talking.

An investigation of the abduction and murder of a Cherry Perry Winkle. Yeah. 8-year-old female. Uh we'd like to ask you questions about it. You want to talk to us?

Okay. So, they take pictures for evidence. Other investigators came in and photographed Dawn's clothes, his muddy shoes, and various scratches and bruises that were present on his body. With so much evidence against him, Dawn was charged with first-degree kidnapping, murder, and heartbreakingly r. Four years later, the trial of Dawn Smith began in Jacksonville, Florida. In opening statements, the defense made the choice to paint Rain Periwinkle as an incompetent and neglectful parent, which didn't go over well in the courtroom.

After that, they decided to take a different approach and barely cross-examined any of the state's witnesses. The first witness on the stand was Rain Periwinkle herself, who gave a very emotional testimony about what took place that day.

When you walked outside the Dollar General, did a man talk to you? Yes. What did this man look like? Describe him for me.

He's got white hair. The man who started talking to you, do you see him here in the courtroom today?

Yes. Could you point to him and describe where he's seated and what he's wearing today?

He's wearing long sleeve blue shirt. with the glasses on top of his head. Yes. Your

honor, may the record reflect that the witnesses identified the defendant. What did he say to you when you walked out the front door of the Dollar General?

If you really want that dress, I'll get it for you. Did he make any other comments to you about your children?

Yes. What' he say? He said, "You look like you have your hands full. I have a couple of little ones."

Where was this in relation to the front door? Where was he standing when he struck up this conversation with you? He was near the front of the store.

Ma'am, looking at the monitor in front of you, is that the location when he first spoke to you as you were walking out the front door of the Dollar General?

Yes. During the course of that conversation, did he make any mention of a gift card that he may have at Walmart?

Yes. What did he tell you about this gift card? He said, "I I have a $150 gift card and I'm waiting on my wife." After some period of time, did he offer to drive you and your children to the Walmart?

Yes. What did he say about his wife in the gift card prior to you all going to Walmart?

He said she's going to meet us there. Did you believe him? Yes. You had seen him in the store before and he talks to you as soon as you come out. Were you originally concerned about him?

Yes. Why? I thought he was going to steal my money because he was watching me with the cashier. He was standing on my right shoulder.

Then so when you go outside then this person you had concern started talking to you. Were you still concerned at that point?

Not as much. I thought I was just being paranoid. Based upon the way he looked, his age, his appearance, did you believe he posed a threat to you?

No. But when the wife didn't show up in the gold car, did he offer to drive you and your children to the Walmart and let him turn?

Yes. What was your response to that offer? I waited because I wanted to see her show up. I didn't jump at it right away.

You were still hoping that the wife would come to Dollar General. Yes. But she never came.

No. At some point did he again ask, "Do you want to go?" He got snappy with me cuz I wouldn't get in the van.

What do you mean he got snappy with you? Describe that for me. He had an attitude. He said, "You don't have to do this." And he asked if I wanted to see his driver's license.

He asked whether or not you would like to see his driver's license. Yes. Did this sort of make you feel more comfortable?

Yes, I felt foolish after that. I thought I was just being paranoid. Why were you hoping that this gift card was real?

Because Cherish needed some clothes for a trip. Did you tell the defendant that Cherish was going to California the next morning?

Yes, I did. Did you have any concerns while you were driving in the van with him?

Not so much because he told me I was safe. He told you that you were safe? Yes. He looked into my face and told me I was safe.

Did you want to believe him? Yes, very much so. Was that gift card something that you really wanted to be able to get stuff for your children?

Yes. Then came a moment in court that left everybody just scratching their heads. Dawn's defense team didn't ask Rain a single question on cross-examination. Nothing. There was literally no cross. They didn't press her on why she allowed her daughter, her little girl, her baby, to leave this store alone with a man she barely knew, a stranger. They didn't ask her anything. They just let her step down. And this was a choice that completely stunned the courtroom. And then things got even heavier. The prosecution rolled the footage from the Walmart, the last known images of Cherish alive. And in that moment, the room went still. Now, on the screen, you will see arrows marking each person in this footage. Those weren't part of the original video. Prosecutors added them later on so that the jury and all of us viewers could keep track of who was who.

Because what you're watching in this footage, if you're watching the video version of this episode, it isn't just surveillance footage. It's the beginning of the end of Cherish's life. They saw the family arrive at the Dollar General, Dawn approached them, and the family leaving with Dawn in his van. Then they saw them shopping around Walmart and then Cherish following behind Dawn to his van and being driven away to her death. The officers who apprehended Dawn and discovered Cherish in the water took the stand. But the next witness would be the most harrowing and emotional testimony of the entire trial. Chief medical examiner Dr. Valerie Row has conducted thousands of autopsies in Jacksonville, Florida, but she said that the autopsy of Little Cherish was the worst that she had ever done. The court had to view extremely disturbing images of Cherished's hundreds of injuries, and members of the jury could be seen crying

during the medical examiner's testimony. With the exception of multiple ant bites, she determined that all of the injuries Cherish sustained happened prior. She went through images that showed injuries to Cherish's neck and indications that she had been struggled using a thick ligature, such as a piece of clothing. She had cuts and bruises all over her body and injuries to her eyes, nose, lips, chin, and gums that indicated that she had forcibly been kept quiet. These all were signs that pointed to a level of torture. I'm not going to play the entire testimony here because it is so graphic, but it is online if you want to watch it. I can't even imagine having to be in the courtroom to see what those jurors saw.

After this portion of her testimony, Dr. Ro had to take a break because she became so overcome with emotion. The medical examiner's testimony about the injuries that Cherish sustained to her private area were so graphic that multiple jurors started crying.

It was hard. Um um because as me being a mother and a growth and having grandkids at that age when that happened, you know, I I couldn't imagine if anything like that happened to one of mine. So it was hard. And some even say that they are still haunted by those images to this very day.

The pictures themselves are graphic enough, but when you have a medical examiner telling you exactly the to and the pain inflicted on her for who knows how long, nobody should have to go through that.

Hinsson says he's trying to move ahead, but admits he experiences almost daily flashbacks. you know, a white van or you see somebody walking down the road that's, you know, with a kid, you know, you're going to look twice. Could that be the next Donald Smith?

In another heartbreaking visual, the little dress that Cherish was wearing was brought into the courtroom, which just reminded everyone how small, sweet, and innocent she really was. In an unexpected decision, the defense decided to not even provide a closing statement. In the words of Dawn's attorney, what could they say? In fact, they only called one witness to take the stand, which was to show Dawn's history of past behavior. Usually, a defense doesn't call a witness who can make their client look worse, but it was a tactic that they were going to utilize later in the sentencing phase of the trial. The witness they called was the 13-year-old girl who Dawn had attempted to abduct in 1992, Carrie Buck.

I'd like to direct your attention to September 27th of 1992. How old were you were you at that time? 13.

And on that Sunday afternoon, were you in your neighborhood leaving your house?

Yes. Was that after church that morning? It was. Where were you going? Um, I was going to my friend Tamar's house.

Did she live within walking distance of your house? A few city blocks. Yes. As you were walking Tamar's house, did you encounter a man in a van?

Yes. Did you get a good look in? I did. Did you see his face? Do you see the man who was driving that van in the courtroom here today?

Yes. Could you please point him out and describe where he's seated and what he's wearing?

There at that table in the orange. Your honor, may the record reflect what the witnesses identify the defendant. Dallas. director was so unfavored.

He was coming toward me and um it stopped. Um he pulled more toward my side of the road and asked if I knew a girl named Susie.

What was your response to that? I told him no. Did he ask you if you wanted to run?

He did. And what was your response to that? I told him no. What happened after you told him no to the ride?

He He told me to get How would you describe the voice? Mean, scary when he said this to you when it come. Where did you run off?

I had it toward my friend Tam's house at the time. It was all I could think of to do.

Did the defendant chase after you and let down? He did. I um I'm sorry. I I tried to run to to Jammer's house. At one point he had cut me off at a crossroad and I just kept running and I didn't make it to camera's house and no one was home and I b the door. Behind the school there was a small playground and there a big like a tube slide to the playground table. I got inside I was holding and pushing out with my hands and my feet inside the I was slipping and I was so afraid I was going to fall out and he was going to find me.

He said, "I know you're little and you I'm going to find you." Did you try to remain hidden?

I'm sorry. Did you try to remain hidden in the slide? I did. How long do you think you were inside that slide hiding in this thing?

It seemed like forever. It only took 15 minutes for the jury to come back with a guilty verdict and they recommended that Dawn be sentenced to

We the jury unanimously find that the defendant Donald James Smith should be sentenced to death. Yes. Um, and so say we all this 20 22nd day of February, 2018 and signed and dated by the four persons.

And the trial then moved into the sentencing phase where the defense would call many more witnesses in hopes to show why Dawn should be spared from the death penalty. The defense called several doctors that worked with Dawn over the years. The doctors did their best to implicate themselves as little as possible for their responsibility and Dawn being released to the public. Some felt like when they spoke to Dawn, he seemed very lucid and coherent and felt like he could have been malingering his symptoms to other doctors. Other doctors said he was one of the worst and most dangerous predators they had ever come across and him being in the general public was a failure of the systems that were put in place to keep people safe.

Some said that his brain injury along with a lifetime of essay against himself made him unable to control his impulses and that the system not only failed the public but Dawn as well. A forensic neurologist said that Dawn's bizarre behavior was due to profound atrophy of his brain and that he could have had a neurodeenerative disease such as dementia which would explain his hypersexuality and disgusting impulses. The state then brought out a shocking new piece of evidence that nobody was expecting and that was secretly recorded conversations between Dawn and another inmate in solitary and they had these conversations through the air vents of their cells. These conversations are seriously grotesque and prove that Dawn has no remorse and is in fact almost proud of his attractions to others. I mean, how absolutely disgusting can you get? And in a different jail house recording, Dawn basically admits to his

crimes. He lays the whole thing out from the dress that Cherish wanted to buy to how he convinced her to get in the car with him. Yet, he still says it wasn't premeditated. And not only does this absolute scum of the earth, like reptile disgusting human being, admit to what he did, but he even seems proud of it.

You know, this is bigger. This is bigger than that. This is bigger than all of that. This is a major component in the in the in this system that makes this the most one of the most expensive one of the most explosive cases that's ever come out Jacksonville because I mean they have upgraded they have upgraded you know I'm not trying to scare you they have upgraded my case to pre-meditated capital felony murder I'd have been better off trying to kill the president I wouldn't have got this kind of press the worst charge that you can ever get the worst charge you can in history of anything. That's the worst.

And and that and coupled with that makes it emotional. Telling you it's a power g. It's a power cake. I mean, I could easil I could easily I could easily say it turn into a riot down. I'm telling you, it's that big. I mean, I don't think you I don't know if you realize it.

Yeah. Physicist way bigger than anything. It's way bigger than Anthony. Capital first premeditated capital Haley. Anthony didn't have all that. She's just missing. Look at that. I mean, they have bodyguards all around her. This is huge. Be aware. It is. It is huge. It's as big as anything that's out here. It's as big as any Jimmy Rice or anything like that. It's that big.

I just can't even imagine the kind of vile person that you have to be to not only this innocent little girl and do these horrific things to her, but then have your only concern be how big the case is. which to me that just shows that he has absolutely no remorse and honestly probably no chance at rehabilitation if we're being honest. And thank God the court agreed. In May of 2018, the judge followed the jury's recommendations and sentenced Dawn to death for what he did to cherish Periwinkle.

The jury's recommendation without reservation. Accordingly, this court finds that death is the only appropriate penalty for the defendant given the highly egregious nature of this crime.

When Dawn was finally sentenced for what he did to cherish her mother, Rain could hardly contain her emotions.

It's overwhelming. It's like I never thought this day would come and now it's here. And now I'm just stumped for words. I just wish Cherish was here. See, if I can say burn in hell, that's what I want to say. I want him to burn in hell. I hope he's watching this right now. Actually,

over the years up until 2022, he has filed several appeals, citing that he should have been given a change of venue, that the attorneys failed to properly defend their client, and that the expert witnesses influenced the jury, such as when Dr. Row became emotional, and when one doctor stated that he was the most dangerous predator she'd ever met. All of his appeals have been denied. with his conviction and his sentence upheld all the way up to the Supreme Court. Now, hold on really quick, past Danny, because here is the wild part in all of this. This story doesn't end with Dawn sitting on death row. Not even close. Even after the Florida Supreme Court unanimously upheld his conviction and the US Supreme Court basically shrugged and refused to hear his case, Dawn still wasn't done. He had more moves, more delays, more ways to keep Cherish's family trapped in this nightmare. In 2023, Dawn's attorneys

filed yet another appeal. But this time, they switched their tactics up a bit. They didn't go after the conviction. No, they went after his sentence. Now, if they won, Dawn wouldn't walk free, but he would get a brand new sentencing trial. another jury, another chance for them to decide if he deserves the death penalty or not. And imagine living through that all over again. And here's where it gets even more infuriating. A judge actually agreed that there was enough evidence to hold a hearing enough to question whether Dawn's original lawyers did their jobs well enough and whether Dawn should be re-sentenced. So once again, Cherish's family was dragged right back into court. brain and everyone who loved Cherish was just gutted by this. The idea that this man could get a second shot at life, at everything after everything that he did, it felt like a betrayal. And Re said, and I quote, "It's unbelievable to

imagine that once someone has been convicted of a crime so heinous and DNA proven beyond all reasonable doubt that there is a possibility of another trial. Donald Smith is ranked as one of the most dangerous offenders, a who should never have seen the light of day again. Donald Smith knew Florida to be a death penalty state and still carried out his darkest fantasies, slipping through the cracks too many times, laughing in the eyes of the law. Let the punishment fit the crime. Obviously, incredibly powerful. And then came Dawn's newest legal argument. His lawyer claimed that one of the original jurors should have been tossed because she first checked the box yes to having a prior opinion about Dawn. Then she crossed it out and she marked no. So they're saying, "Oh, she wavered." Which, I mean, that's it.

That was their big smoking gun in all of this, that she possibly wavered or possibly just marked the wrong box and then corrected herself. But when Dawn's original attorneys took the stand, they shut it down, saying it was exactly what it looked like, a simple mistake, not a reason to reopen the door for a monster.

Just looked like a simple mistake, and she came across as a decent juror, and we went with it.

So, you never asked. I don't believe we did ask. The fact that Dawn's first lawyers never even cross-examined Rain was also a huge point of contention in this, but the lawyers basically said like, "Hold up, wait a minute. Let's run this back. It was actually Dawn's idea not to question her, which I don't know a good defense attorney who prioritizes what their client wants necessarily more than what they think is going to work in the legal system. I feel like they would have told him that they should have cross-examined her, but I mean, what do I know?

This was definitely a case if we were going to be successful, we were going to have to get hopefully one or more jurors to believe in Mr. Smith. me fighting with Miss Periwinkle was not going to move that in our direction at all.

They also brought up testimony from Dr. Heather Holmes who was called by the defense in the original sentencing trial and she had said that Dawn was quote the most dangerous that she had ever met. And when you really think about it, it is pretty unusual for the defense to call a witness to say that their client is the worst of the worst. It doesn't feel like good strategy. But according to the lawyers, this was all part of their strategy.

This was, as the court remembers, an incredibly brutal crime. There was a lot of evidence. The only mitigation that had a chance was to show that Donald Smith was a horrible human being, and it's the state's fault that he was free. He should have been incarcerated.

And then there is that surveillance footage that I pointed out earlier. Dawn's new lawyers said that those arrows that the prosecution added meant that it was quote altered and that it should have never been allowed into evidence. So with all of these different arguments, the hearings took days and the judge's final decision took months. But finally in May of 2024, the judge ruled that even if there were errors in Dawn's original trial, it wasn't anything that really changed the outcome. So that meant that his conviction and his sentence of death, it would stand. And as of this recording, Dawn is on death row in Florida, which thank God. Some people say though that Dawn is not the only one who should face consequences for what happened to Cherish. During and after the trial, many people were critical of Rain's choices and also said that it seemed like she enjoyed the attention she was receiving from the media. She went on

several different shows to try to clear her name with people accusing her of giving away her daughter for a gift card. After Cherish's death, DCFS got involved with the family again and ended up placing her two younger daughters in foster care due to the conditions in the home. They were in the foster care system for more than a year. And there were several criteria that Rain needed to meet to get her children back. She needed to get a stable home and a steady job, but she failed to do either of those things. Some people believe one year after the death of your child isn't enough for someone to get their life together and that Rain shouldn't have had her children taken during the hardest and lowest period of her life.

Other people's opinions changed when they learned that she actually had another daughter that she abandoned in Australia and felt like her bad parenting was a pattern of behavior. Her oldest daughter, Lindsay, did a few interviews along with Rain's sister who helped raise Lindsay and said that she blames her mother for what happened to Cherish. I'm related to that person, you know, that's my mother and it's just makes me feel sick.

Her own daughter doesn't want a thing to do with her. I've never wanted to have anything to do with her because of who she is. She's a bad mother.

Her sister refuses to talk to her. Quite simply, is she the world's worst mom. It's worst I've ever heard of. Worst case of child that I've ever heard of.

I wouldn't wish this on anyone. Clearly, Rain Periwinkle doesn't think she's a bad mom. and the nausea I feel and the pain, the agony and I don't want any mom to have to go through what I'm going through. She's my sister and I love her, but I'll never forgive her for what she's done.

Rain's sister, Carrie, and Rain's oldest daughter, Lindsay, say Rain is the reason one of her children is dead.

It's terrible, but I think about it every day. I can't sleep, you know. So it's it's been a year and it feels like it was just yesterday. And as soon as I start thinking about it, it's kills me. So

and Lindsay, can I ask you who you blame for what happened to Cherish? My mother 100%. Oh, you know that was going to get any child was going to get somebody he was going to do it to. And he saw my mom as an easy mark. He was a known

40 years history, four decades of and crime against children. I thought I taught them everything about stranger danger thing, but he was smarter than I was.

Even more distressing before she was little Cherish begged her grandmother Leslie to let her come and live with her in Australia.

I don't really think they were being looked after and it really worried me. I think I I really think there was something was going on.

Do you feel that the community and individuals are really blaming you? Yes, a lot of them

in the states. Rain Periwinkle has become big news. If I could say one more thing to cherish, what would it be? Wait for me at the gate. She's enjoying being a public figure and um really doesn't understand that what she's done is so wrong.

Rain's sister and her husband ended up adopting Destiny and Naa after Rain could not meet the criteria in that time frame given by the court. This was a very controversial decision because Aaron and his family wanted to take full custody of the girls, but he lost his parental rights as well due to his home conditions. So, they now live in Australia and are said to be thriving with their new parents. Regardless, Cherish touched so many people's lives after her death, but she shouldn't have had to die to be the reason that Dawn was finally taken off the streets for good.

But, um, no, it's not justice, you know. Um, the legal system works the way it works. But, uh, he's been living for 5 years after the death of my daughter, and he's going to be living till the the death penalty is either done or whatever the case may be. And that's not justice. Uh she didn't get that option to live those many years. She was uh wow. It's hard to explain. And you never see her unhappy. She was never miserable. She never had any signs of anything. She was just smiling just the biggest smile on her face every time you seen her. And I know you talk to people Jackson girls, they'll tell you the same thing. To have a 8-year-old just be taken out like this is just it's just unreal. Um, I just hope they remembered her smiling face and the fact that she had a good life ahead of her and would have probably been very successful at something. Um, but we'll never know now.

There were so many systematic failures of the systems meant to keep children like Cherish safe. And Dawn should have been locked away for good a long time ago. So, I hope that if this story and this case teaches anybody anything, it's to always trust your instincts. And don't worry about coming off as rude to someone who makes you feel uncomfortable. I know Rain didn't want to seem ungrateful for the help that Dawn was offering, but someone who wants to help you should never ask you to go to a second location or pressure you to get in their car. It's a common tactic for predators to try to make their prey feel guilty or paranoid about being uncomfortable and then going with them against their better judgment. Just please never accept a ride from a stranger, especially with your children.

And don't be afraid to say no if something feels wrong. Trust your gut. Hopefully, learning about what happened to Cherish will cause more people to notice more red flags and keep themselves and their children safe from people like Donald Smith. I'm curious to know what you think. Do you think that Dawn does deserve death? I personally do, but do you think that there should be more accountability with the other adults in Cherish's life? What really is going on here? Has everybody truly been held accountable for their role, whether minor or major, that it played in what happened ultimately to Cherish? Let me know in the comment section or on the Apple review section or on the Spotify Q&A section. Thank you so much for joining me on another reopened episode of Tend to Life. As a reminder, we have all new episodes every single Tuesday.

The uncensored versions are wherever you get your podcasts and the video versions are on YouTube under my channel Annie Eliss. Make sure you're following the podcast, that you are subscribed to the YouTube channel so that you do not miss an episode. Thank you again for hearing Cherish's story today. And until the next one, stay safe. Bye.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Chilling Walmart Footage Exposes a Monster | The Cherish Perrywinkle Case"?

Lindsay (last name not provided; Rain Periwinkle’s oldest daughter) (Guest), Carrie (Rain Periwinkle’s sister; last name not provided) (Guest), Donald James Smith (referred to as 'Dawn'/'Don') (Guest), Rain Periwinkle's Defense/Prosecution Questioner (court audio; name not provided) (Guest), Dr. Valerie Rao (spelled 'Row/Ro' in transcript) (Guest), Hinson (first name not provided) (Guest), Carrie Buck (also appears as 'Carrie/Carrieanne/Kerianne/Kerenne' in transcript) (Guest), Judge (name not provided) (Guest).

What is "Chilling Walmart Footage Exposes a Monster | The Cherish Perrywinkle Case" about?

On June 21, 2013, a 911 call from Rain Periwinkle revealed a desperate search for her daughter, Cherish, who had allegedly been abducted by a man after a chance encounter at a nearby Dollar General and subsequent trip to a Walmart. The chilling details of the call expose the growing fears and suspicions Rain had about the stranger, ultimately leading to a heartbreaking crime scene and tragic…

What is mentioned in this Annie Elise episode?

42 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Rain Periwinkle, Dollar General, DCF, DCFS, Nvea, Cherish Periwinkle. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Chilling Walmart Footage Exposes a Monster | The Cherish Perrywinkle Case"?

The episode runs 1 h 3 min; the transcript is about 11,348 words in 142 timestamped sections.

More from Annie Elise

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated January 24, 2026.