Broadway actress Imani Smith stabbed to death in New Jersey, police say
Updated on: December 26, 2025 / 5:25 PM EST / CBS New York
TL;DR
- Imani Smith, 26, was found stabbed to death in her Edison, New Jersey home on December 21.
- Smith previously played the role of Young Nala on Broadway in 'The Lion King' between 2011 and 2012.
- Jordan Jackson-Small, 35, has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a weapon.
- Police stated the act was not random and that the suspect and victim knew each other.
- Jackson-Small is the father of Smith's 3-year-old child.
- Smith's mother also worked on 'The Lion King' and other Broadway and television productions.