Mother Now Formally Charged With Homicide After 5-Year-Old Found In Trash Bag

February 8, 2026

A 36-year-old woman is now formally charged with homicide for the death of her 5-year-old son.

Jalynda Karie Smith was booked into the Escambia County Jail without bond at 1:37 a.m. Saturday on a first degree felony charge of aggravated negligent manslaughter of a child.

The young boy’s body was recovered in a trash bag from Perdido Bay off Lillian Highway around 10:15 a.m. on Friday.

About 9:30 a.m., the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded after receiving a call from Smith’s sister who “shared some concerns about her 5-year-old nephew,” Sheriff Chip Simmons said. Deputies said the boy had not been reported missing prior to the recovery.

The Sheriff’s Office has not released any additional details.

“We are still waiting on word from the medical examiner’s office as to the exact cause of death,” Simmons said.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.

Comments

7 Responses to “Mother Now Formally Charged With Homicide After 5-Year-Old Found In Trash Bag”

  1. Kitty S on February 9th, 2026 7:53 pm

    That sweet baby is safe in Jesus’ arms now.

  2. Buttonz on February 9th, 2026 2:41 pm

    This is so sad. Poor baby. Monster in human form. Mental health & drug psychosis is real & it should matter more than blaming the person we should already have had a better help for people who have problems issues with getting into a dr office when she had struggled with getting him help. Not excusing her but mental health

  3. Voices in Pensacola on February 9th, 2026 12:20 pm

    I’ve read that it’s either money, sex, or drugs (or a combination) when it comes to hard crimes.

    This type of crime does not fall into those categories. What could possibly be the motivating factor for this?

  4. Sedition on February 9th, 2026 10:27 am

    I have no words that NE would print.

  5. Peter on February 8th, 2026 2:22 pm

    words cannot do justice, hopefully the law will.

  6. CHRIS on February 8th, 2026 10:21 am

    I guess to her, his life did not matter

  7. Susie on February 8th, 2026 9:50 am

    Despicable and absolutely NO reason for this horrible tragedy! The devil already has her, for sure. God bless our children.





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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News