The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has released this account of the night Cherish Perrywinkle, 8, was abducted from the Walmart on Lem Turner Road.
11:18pm: Call received by dispatch from victim’s mother advising her daughter was taken from the Wal-Mart at 12100 Lem Turner Rd
11:20pm: Call is dispatched to patrol officers
11:28: First two officers arrive on the scene
11:36: Officers broadcast a BOLO (be on the lookout) for the victim and suspect vehicle
11:41: Air Unit is requested
11:45: Homicide is requested to be called out by the patrol supervisor on scene
11:57: Dispatch broadcasts a BOLO to Baker County (BOLO contains description of victim, suspect and vehicle)
Midnight: Dispatch broadcasts a BOLO to Nassau County (BOLO contains description of victim, suspect and vehicle)
12:05am: Homicide notified and asked to respond to the scene by dispatch. Homicide sergeant makes contact with Patrol supervisor and is advised that the surveillance footage has been reviewed and verified that the victim had left with the suspect in a white van
12:07am: Dispatch broadcasts a BOLO to Clay County (BOLO contains description of victim, suspect and vehicle)
12:10am: Patrol personnel continue to review the Walmart store video showing complainant, victim and suspect.
12:10am: Homicide sergeant notifies Homicide Unit Commander of circumstances of the callout
12:27am: First EARS broadcast is sent out to the media advising of a Homicide Callout at 12100 Lem Turner Rd. No electronic media responds, only TU responds. (Note: Homicide is the unit that responds to cases of abduction, as well as murders, suicides and undetermined deaths).
12:52am: First Homicide detective arrives at the scene and gathers information from Patrol on the incident. During this briefing, the detectives are advised of the following information:
Surveillance video has been reviewed already that shows the victim leaving with the suspect in a white van. Still photos have already been printed out of the victim, suspect and van.
Air unit has been called out
Patrol units have been sent to the location where the mother initially met the suspect
Patrol units have been sent to the victim’s residence to search for her
Motels and hotels have been searched in the area
Patrol units are being sent to addresses of known sex offenders in the area
1:00am – 2:10am:
Patrol Watch Commander establishes a command post in the Walmart parking lot (1:13am)
Ongoing efforts by Patrol to search surrounding RV parks, major roadways and residences of sex offenders.
Homicide detectives are interviewing the mother and the siblings of the victim
1:45am: EARS update is sent to the media advising that a time and staging area are still TBD. No media responds to the EARS update.
2:20am: Homicide sergeant notifies Homicide lieutenant of the need to initiate Amber Alert
2:24am: Dispatch puts out an additional BOLO to officers via MDC
2:31am: Homicide sergeant contacts FDLE and begins dialogue for Amber Alert
2:40am: Victim’s information is entered into NCIC/FCIC as an Endangered Missing Juvenile
2:40am: The NCIC entry generates an automatic notification to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in Washington, DC.
2:45-3:15am: Homicide sergeant continues dialogue with FDLE for Amber Alert
3:15am: ASA is contacted and advised of the situation
3:30am: Suspect is identified as Donald J. Smith, a registered sex offender. It is also determined that the suspect’s mother owns a white Dodge 1998 van.
3:33am: Homicide sergeant requests media to respond for press conference
3:34am: EARS Update sent out to the media advising that he will hold a press conference in 30 minutes in front of the Wal-Mart at the Market entrance referencing ccr 422457
3:40am: Victim’s mother is shown a photo of the suspect and she positively identifies him
3:45am: FDLE contacts Homicide sergeant to review original script. Homicide sergeant updates FDLE on the new information on the suspect and the vehicle to be added to the Amber Alert
3:50am: Homicide sergeant requests patrol officers respond to the suspect’s residence to search for victim
3:56am: The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children contacts dispatch and is provided the information on the incident
4:00am: Homicide sergeant addresses media that responded to the 3:34am EARS update. No electronic media responds. Only TU is present.
4:05am: Homicide sergeant is contacted by FDLE to review the final script for Amber Alert
4:21am: Amber Alert is received via NCIC/FCIC
4:23am: Homicide sergeant requests PIO be contacted
4:24am: PIO Hartley is contacted by dispatch
4:39am: EARS notification sent to the media advising of a news conference to take place at 5:00am. Text message sent advises it is in reference to the Homicide callout 422457. The email Media Notification Advisory explains that the case is in reference to an abduction of a juvenile by a known sex offender.
4:42am: National Center contacts JSO for updates
5:08am: National Center contacts JSO for updates again
5:27am: PIO sends email update to media outlining the basic information on the situation, including photos of the victim, suspect and vehicle
6:20am: Assistant Chief Butler is notified of the incident
6:22- 6:30am: Chief Smith, Director Williams and Undersheriff Senterfitt are notified of the incident
6:48am: Child Abduction Response Team (CART) is requested to be activated by Homicide detectives; also, the Offender Tracking Unit is called out
6:52am: PIO sends out media update via email updating information
7:11am: National Center advises dispatch that they are sending someone to assist
7:18am: Homicide lieutenant arrives at Zone 6 substation
7:25-7:45am: A/C Butler, Chief Smith, Director Williams, Chief Tranquille, FDLE representative, FBI representatives, and Emergency Management personnel respond to Zone 6 substation for briefing and implementation of ICS
8:00am: Incident briefing held at Zone 6 substation
8:34am: Citizen calls JSO advising that she observed a suspicious vehicle matching the one on TV at approximately 7am at the Highlands Baptist Church 10400 Rutgers Rd. She advises that the vehicle is no longer at that location (ccr 423090 –see additional information on attachment)
8:57am: Patrol officer observes the suspect van southbound on I95 as she is working a traffic crash.
9:03am: PIO releases additional photos to media outside the command post at the Zone 6 substation
9:05am: Officers stop the suspect vehicle at SB I95 and Forest St.
9:07am: Suspect is taken into custody without incident. The victim is not inside the van.
9:08-9:20am: K9 Officer leaves the suspect with patrol officers, responds immediately to 10400 Rutgers Rd with Homicide detectives. At 9:20am, the victim’s body is located by the K9 team.
9:20-10:02am: Homicide detective is sent to the victim’s residence to make notification prior to the release of this information to the media
10:02am: PIO sends a notification of media update to take place momentarily outside of the command post. During this media release, the PIO advises of the arrest of the suspect and the discovery of the victim.
