NJ man charged with murdering girlfriend, a former Broadway child star

A New Jersey man has been charged in the killing of his girlfriend Imani Smith, who starred in the “Lion King” on Broadway when she was a child, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office announced.

Jordan Jackson-Small is facing a count of murder in connection with the death of 35-year-old Smith, NJ Advance Media reported. He was also charged with weapon possession crimes and endangering the welfare of a child, though the prosecutor’s office did not provide specific details regarding the latter count.

Officers with the Edison Police Department found Smith suffering stab wounds on Sunday inside a home on Grove Avenue. She was rushed to an area hospital, where she died later the same day, police said.

Jackson-Small was taken into custody without incident a short time later. He is being held in the Middlesex County jail pending court appearances.

Prosecutors have said Jackson-Small and Smith knew each other, adding that the stabbing did not appear to be a random act of violence. On a GoFundMe page created by Kira Helper, Smith’s aunt, family confirmed the pair had been dating.

“Imani had her whole life ahead of her. She was a vivacious, loving and fiercely talented person,” the page reads. “A true triple-threat performer, she most notably played the role of Young Nala on Broadway in Disney’s Lion King — an experience that reflected the joy, creativity, and light she put into the world.”

Smith leaves behind “a 3-year-old son, her parents, her two younger siblings, and an extended family, friends, and community who loved her so very much.”