Jailed TV chef who beat beautiful foster daughter, 3, to death makes fresh demand for freedom
Ariel Robinson, 33, a former Food Network contestant and winner of Worst Cooks in America, was convicted of homicide by child abuse in 2022 after she beat little Victoria 'Tori' Smith to death.
Victoria suffered fatal internal injuries from repeated blows.
Now Robinson, who is serving a life sentence, is demanding a new trial and begging South Carolina's Supreme Court to overturn her conviction, as reported by local news outlet FOX Carolina.
She is arguing that prosecutors should never have been allowed to show the jury graphic photos of the toddler's graphic injuries.
Her legal team insists the images were 'inflammatory' and unfairly biased the jury, who found her guilty after just over an hour of deliberations.
A state appeals court already denied her request for a new trial earlier this year.
But the convicted child killer isn't giving up and is now asking the South Carolina Supreme Court to review the ruling.
So far, the high court has not announced whether it will hear the case.
Robinson and her husband Jerry, 35, were arrested in 2021 after the death of Victoria. In April 2022, Jared pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting homicide by child abuse.
Police found Victoria unresponsive after responding to a 911 call at the Robinson's house on January 14, 2021.
Robinson claimed at the time that the toddler 'went limp' after ingesting an excess of liquids and that she thought the girl had choked.
When asked about other bruises found all over the toddler's body, Ariel allegedly blamed Victoria's brother, who the Robinsons also fostered and claimed had 'anger issues'.
Prosecutors argued that Robinson had in fact fatally beaten Victoria that night.
Greenville County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Michael Ward testified that the child was beaten so severely that her blood vessels burst. He said that the blood that subsequently collected in her muscles and body fat may have killed her.
'If we lose enough blood, the heart doesn't have enough volume to pump,' Ward said.
Jerry Robinson later told authorities that the fatal beating was spurned by an incident the day before, when Victoria vomited on the way to church and angered Ariel.
Ariel Robinson (left) in court in 2022 for the killing of Victoria Smith. Her trial lasted four days. Now Robinson, who is serving a life sentence, is demanding a new trial and begging South Carolina's Supreme Court to overturn her conviction
Two witnesses, Jean Smith and Avery Santiago, testified at the time that they saw Ariel washing Victoria's dress in the church bathroom that day. Asking if the child was sick, Robinson told Smith '[The girl] eats too much and makes herself throw up. [It'] a game.'
Santiago testified that she heard Ariel telling Victoria 'Oh, you're cold. You're cold. Girls that make themselves throw up deserve to be cold,' FOX Carolina reported.
'I was frustrated,' Ariel testified on Thursday when asked about the incident at the church.
It was not the first time Ariel had lost her temper over Victoria's eating habits, according to Jerry, who testified that his wife would beat the child with a wooden paddle or a belt.
'Sometimes I'd take a piece of [her] food just to help her out,' he testified.
Ariel teared up talking about Victoria on the stand during her trial, describing her as 'a perfect child.'
'We had a good relationship,' Ariel said. 'She was my mini-me.' Robinson said 'He's lying,' when asked about her husband's statements.
Before her homicide arrest, Ariel was known for winning season 20 of the Food Network show 'Worst Cooks in America' in 2020, and receiving a $25,000 cash prize.
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