DFCS warned for months about abuse before 4-year-old's death, friend says
Friend: DFCS warned of abuse months before 4-year-old died
Atlanta police booked two women into the Fulton County Jail on murder and child cruelty charges after an arrest warrant revealed a 4-year-old died from extensive blunt force injuries and was left unattended alongside four children at a Cardinal Drive townhome.
ATLANTA - State child welfare officials received multiple warnings about severe abuse months before 4-year-old Colby Cooks was found beaten to death inside a southwest Atlanta townhome, according to family friends.
Colby Cook's death: Child abuse reports
What we know:
Family friend Destyne Akoon said the children's father and mutual acquaintances contacted the Georgia Department of Human Services Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) repeatedly throughout late 2025.
"It came from a friend of mine who reported to DFCS last year that the kids were being abused when we discovered the abuse," Akoon told FOX 5.
Akoon said multiple complaints were logged with the agency across September, October, November and December 2025. The boys' father submitted an emergency referral after seeing 5-year-old Kayden's deteriorating physical condition just days prior.
Colby Cooks and Kayden were staying with Jasmaine Smoak while their mother, Amanda Malone Walker, was incarcerated on shoplifting charges, according to family friends and court records. Akoon said that while she shared a home with the mother, children and Smoak during the summer of 2025, the violence started once Smoak moved the boys into her own townhome along Cardinal Drive SW.
Atlanta police officers responded to the Cardinal Drive SW townhome Monday evening after Smoak's father called 911 for a welfare check. Court documents show he told dispatchers his daughter claimed a child was unresponsive after ingesting medication.
When emergency crews forced entry, they found Colby dead, hidden beneath clothing inside an upstairs master bedroom closet. The Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the death a homicide caused by extensive blunt force trauma, noting broken bones, a burn and internal lacerations to his liver and spleen.
Investigators noted the child had entered rigor mortis and estimated he had been dead 12 to 24 hours. Smoak drove away before police arrived, taking four other children in a white Mercedes-Benz to a home in Washington, Georgia, belonging to a relative of co-defendant Jasmine Jenkins.
Wilkes County deputies detained Smoak and recovered the children, rushing Kayden to an Augusta hospital with severe facial injuries, signs of prolonged abuse and acute starvation. Atlanta police arrested Jenkins on Thursday.
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Allegations of child starvation
Arrest warrants state that 5-year-old Kayden was severely malnourished. Akoon said Smoak subjected the boys to physical punishment whenever Kayden searched for food.
"Supposedly, he would wake up while everyone was asleep and ransack the kitchen because he was being starved," Akoon said. "So Jasmaine would force abuse and trauma onto the kids and punish him because he was so hungry."
According to arrest warrants, Smoak and Jenkins left four children unattended inside the Cardinal Drive SW townhome Sunday evening to go out while Colby was suffering from catastrophic injuries. Investigators later recovered a DoorDash delivery bag that Jenkins had ordered to the residence.
Georgia Department of Human Services responds
What they're saying:
The Georgia Department of Human Services addressed the previous complaints and pledged support for the criminal probe.
"We are devastated to hear of the loss of this little boy and extend our deepest condolences to those who loved him," the agency said in an official statement. "We will fully cooperate and partner with law enforcement as they investigate this tragedy."
Unanswered questions on caseworker response
What we don't know:
State officials have not released records showing what specific actions DFCS caseworkers took after receiving the multiple abuse reports filed between September and December.
Authorities have not confirmed how many total welfare referrals were logged regarding the children before Colby's death.
The Fulton County District Attorney's Office has not announced a preliminary hearing date for Smoak and Jenkins.
Fulton County court proceedings
What's next:
Both Smoak and Jenkins are booked into the Fulton County Jail without bond. The pair waived their initial court appearances on Friday.
Both women face charges of murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and first-degree cruelty to children. Smoak faces an additional charge of concealing the death of another. Jenkins also faces party to a crime charges.
Colby's 5-year-old brother remains hospitalized in Augusta as medical personnel treat his injuries and monitor his recovery.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from on-scene reporting by FOX 5's Aungelique Proctor, Fulton County Magistrate Court arrest warrants, statements released to FOX 5 by the Georgia Department of Human Services, the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office, the Wilkes County Sheriff's Office, Fulton County Jail records, Atlanta Police Department statements and an interview with family friend Destyne Akoon.