Imani Dia Smith, a former child actor who appeared in Disney’s The Lion King on Broadway, was killed after being stabbed during a domestic incident in Edison, New Jersey, authorities said. She was 26 years old.
Police officers responded to a 911 call on December 21 and found Ms. Smith suffering from stab wounds, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office. She was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The suspect, Jordan D. Jackson-Small, 35, was arrested in connection with the killing. Prosecutors said he knew Ms. Smith prior to the incident and later confirmed that he was her boyfriend.
“This was not a random act of violence,” the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement.
Jackson-Small was arrested without incident and charged with:
First-degree murder
Second-degree endangering the welfare of a child
Third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose
Fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon
Authorities have not released further details about the events leading up to the stabbing. The investigation is ongoing.
Ms. Smith was best known for her role as Young Nala in The Lion King on Broadway, where she performed from September 27, 2011, to September 23, 2012. She later left acting and lived privately.
She was the daughter of Monique Rance-Helper and Rawni Helper. Her mother is a professional hair stylist and wig designer who has worked on Broadway and in film and television, including The Lion King, Eclipsed, Once On This Island, The Lightning Thief, the In the Heights film, and the FX series POSE.
Ms. Smith is survived by her three-year-old son, her parents, and two younger siblings.
Her aunt, Kira Helper, confirmed the relationship between Ms. Smith and the suspect in a fundraising appeal. “Jordan Jackson-Small was Imani’s boyfriend,” she wrote.
A GoFundMe campaign was launched to support the family as they arrange funeral services, assume care of Ms. Smith’s child, and prepare for legal proceedings. The fundraiser set a target of $75,000 and had raised about $64,500 as of publication.
The family has not released further public statements.
