In a case that shocked viewers who once watched her compete on national television, Ariel Robinson — the winner of Season 20 of Food Network’s Worst Cooks in America — was convicted of homicide by child abuse and sentenced to life in prison for the death of her 3-year-old foster daughter, Victoria “Tori” Smith.

The tragedy unfolded in Simpsonville, South Carolina. On January 14, 2021, emergency responders were called to the family’s home after the little girl was found unresponsive. She was rushed to the hospital but could not be saved. Authorities later determined that Victoria had suffered a series of blunt-force injuries that proved fatal. Both Ariel Robinson and her husband, Jerry “Austin” Robinson, were arrested and charged in connection with the child’s death.

During the trial in Greenville County in May 2022, prosecutors presented evidence that Ariel Robinson was the one who inflicted the fatal injuries. Robinson took the stand and denied responsibility. She claimed she had left the house the night before to run errands and returned the next morning to find the child suddenly go limp after breakfast. She insisted her husband must have been responsible. The jury rejected her account after deliberating for roughly an hour and a half, returning a guilty verdict on the charge of homicide by child abuse.

At sentencing, Judge Leтιтia H. Verdin did not hide her reaction to the evidence. She told the court that in more than a decade on the bench she had never seen injuries of that severity. The judge also questioned why medical help was not sought sooner while the child lay dying. Based on the facts presented, she said the only appropriate sentence was life in prison.

Jerry Austin Robinson had already pleaded guilty earlier to aiding and abetting homicide by child abuse. He later testified against his wife as part of a cooperation agreement and was sentenced to the maximum of 20 years in prison, with credit for time already served.

The case drew extra attention because of Ariel Robinson’s brief time in the public eye. She had won the 2020 season of Worst Cooks in America, a compeтιтion that transforms amateur cooks through intense culinary training. After the criminal charges became public, Food Network and its parent company removed the entire season from their platforms.

Victoria Smith, often called Tori by those who knew her, was only three years old. The circumstances of her death raised painful questions about the foster care system and the protection of vulnerable children placed in temporary homes.

Source: NBC News – https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/worst-cooks-america-winner-found-guilty-beating-death-3-year-old-foste-rcna28739