Jury renders verdict in SC Food Network star child death case. Here’s the decision

The winner of a Food Network show was sentenced to life in prison Thursday after being found guilty of homicide by child abuse in the beating death of her 3-year-old foster daughter.

The unanimous verdict was rendered by the jury in about an hour.

Ariel Robinson made no comment before Judge Letitia Verdin imposed the sentence.

“In my 13-14 years as a judge, I’ve never seen anything like this,” Verdin said. ”Not even approaching it.”

She acknowledged Robinson’s attorney’s statement that his client snapped but asked, “Why let this child suffer?”

Victoria Smith died on Jan. 14, 2021 in Robinson’s home after suffering blows to her legs and abdomen because she did not eat her pancakes fast enough.

Her biological family cried and hugged one another after court was dismissed.

“Praise God,” Vickie Phares, Victoria’s biological great-grandmother, said. “Justice was served for our baby.”

Robinson’s attorney Bill Bouton said before the judge imposed sentence, “There was lots of stress on this family.” He also said Robinson has no prior record and no previous reports of child abuse.

Homicide by child abuse carries a sentence of 25 years to life.

A lawyer for the foster family of Victoria’s biological brothers told the court one of them said, “I hope she’s OK in heaven.”

Ariel and her husband Austin had custody of Victoria and her two older biological brothers for 10 months and were scheduled to adopt them the week after Victoria died.

Austin Robinson pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting homicide by child abuse last month. He faces 10 to 20 years in prison.

He testified that his wife beat Victoria with a belt. Medical evidence showed she died when blood pooled in her blood and could not get to her brain.

This story was originally published May 12, 2022 at 3:18 PM.