Kit Roberts
Warning: this article discusses the death of a child, which some readers may find distressing.
A mom wrote a chilling tribute to her daughter online before police found out that she was the one responsible for her death.
Stephanie Diane Smith was sentenced to life in prison after she confessed to police that she was the one who had killed her four-year-old daughter.
But prior to her discovery, Smith had posted a tribute to her daughter on social media.
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Reading through it you would not be able to guess that she was the one who was actually responsible for the heartbreaking death.
Zadie Wren Cooper died on July 7, 2016, with Smith telling authorities that she had found her daughter unresponsive.
A medical examiner was not able to determine how Zadie had died, with a private autopsy requested by the family also proving inconclusive.
But on April 13 2017, Smith walked into a police station, where she requested to speak to an investigator.
There, she confessed to killing her daughter.
Police Chief Floyd Johnson told a press conference: "She told us that she has mental issues and, at the time ]of the killing, she had some issues and she was not on her medication."
Describing how she had done it, Johnson said: "She went into Zadie’s room, put a pillow over her head; her face – she was sleeping on her back – and smothered the child.
“A short time later, she realized what was going on; she removed the pillow. Zadie was not breathing, and she called 911."
Posting on Instagram before her confession, Smith wrote: "I hope you knew how incredibly important you were to me. You were and still are my world. I'm lost without you. Completely lost.
"I need you, but you're not here, and I'm so sorry I couldn't do anything to stop that. I want to go lie by your grave and never leave."
She continued: "I know you aren't there. No, you're experiencing what we all aspire to. I wish you'd taken me with you.
"I don't want to be here without you. I don't. I love you forever, sugar bear."
Initially, Smith was charged with capital murder but would go on to plead guilty to the lesser charge of felony murder.
She was sentenced to a life term in prison with the possibility of parole.
However, it was not clear when she would become eligible or what the conditions of her parole would be for her to be considered.