Charges against the Fort Smith woman who was arrested last Friday in conjunction with the death of her 5-year-old stepchild were elevated to include a charge of Felony First Degree Murder.
Rae Von Smith, 23, was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center initially on a Felony Child Endangerment charge after Fort Smith Police Department personnel responded to Mercy Hospital regarding the suspicious death of the 5-year-old at around 2 a.m. last Friday.
Smith remained jailed Wednesday night of a $502,000 bond. In addition to the Murder and Endangerment charges she is listed as a Surrender Off Bond for Domestic Battery in the Third Degree-Purposely and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia-Ingest arrest on December 31, 2018, She was out of jail and was awaiting a trial date on those charges.
Smith intially told investigators that the child, identified as only as Messiiah H. "fell down the stairs" twice.
Smith was in a same sex marriage with thee child's biological mother.
