Health
Investigator disputes claims by law enforcement about death of Paulding County mother Heather Turner
By Devon Wright
Child found dead inside southwest Atlanta home; woman arrested in Central Savannah River Area
Marcus Chen
Marcus Chen
Managing Editor · St. Paul, MN
Marcus manages the day-to-day editorial workflow across all brands, coordinating coverage assignments and ensuring editorial standards are met. He previously served as city editor at the Pioneer Press and holds a degree in Political Science from Carleton College.
More from Marcus →Managing Editor · Tuesday, October 27, 2026 at 2:36 PM · 1 min read
A woman has been arrested in connection with the investigation into a child found dead inside a southwest Atlanta home, according to the Wilkes County sheriff.Jasmaine Smoak was arrested Tuesday around 1:30 a.m. at a home in Wilkes County, the sheriff said. She remains in custody there until she is transported to Atlanta.The sheriff's office had been working with Atlanta police on the case and learned that Smoak might be in the area, the sheriff said. The sheriff said he did not believe Smoak was related to the child but said she may have had a relationship with the child's father.Atlanta police are handling the investigation. Information about any charges against Smoak was not provided.Officers responded to a welfare check at a home on Cardinal Drive SW around 7:20 p.m. Monday, according to Lt. Christopher Butler, commander of the Atlanta Police Department's Homicide Unit. Butler said officers and Atlanta Fire Rescue personnel forced their way inside based on the information they rece
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