Coroner: DNA test confirms body found hidden in garbage bags belonged to missing 5-year-old boy

Published 10:39 am Wednesday, October 9, 2019

A DNA test confirms that remains found in a garbage bag in a Mississippi basement were those of a 5-year-old boy.

Lauderdale County Coroner Clayton Cobler tells The Meridian Star that the state crime lab released results Monday confirming Jakie Toole’s identity. He died from blunt force trauma, with an autopsy finding broken ribs.

The child’s caregiver, 35-year-old Celeste Louise Smith, has told police varying stories about what happened. In one version, Smith told police she beat Toole after he cried during a bath. Toole was disabled and had trouble walking or talking.

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Smith is charged with capital murder and child neglect. She’s jailed without bail awaiting indictment.

Toole’s mother, Teasia Warren, is charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She left the child with Smith for months.