Two Georgia women have been arrested in connection with the death of a four-year-old boy whose body was found under a pile of clothes in a closet.
Officers found Cobee Cooks, who was not named by police but was identified in a family GoFundMe, after being called to conduct a welfare check at a property in south-west Atlanta on October 26.
Jasmine Smoak, 32, was arrested shortly afterwards and has since been charged with murder.
A second woman, Jasmine Jenkins, was later arrested on murder charges in connection with the four-year-old’s death.
Fox 5 Atlanta reports that authorities were called to the house after Smoak’s father rang 911, telling them that his daughter called him claiming a child was unresponsive as a result of medication.
However, officers who were dispatched to the house confirmed that Cobee, who was found under a pile of clothes in an upstairs closet, had already been dead for around 12 to 24 hours.
Smoak is alleged to have fled the scene in a white Mercedes-Benz with three other children before they arrived.
The car was eventually tracked down to an address in Washington, Georgia, where Smoak was arrested.
One of the children with her, Cobee’s five-year-old brother Kayden, was taken to hospital suffering from facial injuries and malnutrition, as well as other signs of prolonged abuse.
Smoak is reportedly a friend of Cobee’s mother and not biologically related to any of the children, while the connection to Jenkins has not been stated.
Fox 5 Atlanta reports that Cobee and his brother were staying with Smoak while their mother was incarcerated on shoplifting charges.
A family friend told the news channel that a number of reports had been made to local child welfare services about the children during 2025, including an emergency referral from their father.
Following the arrest the Wilkes County Sheriff’s office said in a statement on their Facebook page: ‘Wilkes County is NOT a place where criminals can come to hide!
‘Our reach extends well beyond our county lines, and we will continue working with our law enforcement partners throughout Georgia and beyond to ensure that those wanted for serious crimes are brought before the courts.’
The cause of Cobee’s death was later given as blunt force trauma, while Fox 5 Atlanta also reports that, according to medical examiners, the youngster had also suffered lacerations to his spleen and liver.
Cobee’s great-aunt has since set up a GoFundMe in which she identified Cobee, as well as confirming the injured child is his brother.
The four-year-old was described as ‘affectionate, playful, and full of energy’, with family adding: ‘He loved to eat, loved to play, and had a special way of making the funniest little faces just to make everyone smile.
‘He was our little burst of sunshine, always full of life and personality.’
Both women are now facing charges of murder, first degree cruelty to children and aggravated assault, while Smoak is also charged with concealing the death of another.
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