Woman Charged With Death of Daughter found in Oregon Coast Hotel Room
Authorities say the woman was supposed to share custody of her two children with their father last week, but that never happened.
40-year-old Jessica Smith was arrested Sunday after her SUV was spotted by a Coast Guard helicopter. The search for Smith began after she went missing last Friday. Her two daughters, ages 2 and 13, were found by a maid in a hotel room at Cannon Beach, OR.
The teen girl, Alana Smith, was suffering from severe cuts, but is expected to survive. She was airlifted to a Portland, OR hospital. However, 2-year-old Isabella Smith was found dead in the room. Police have not said how she died, but it's been ruled a homicide.
Alana Smith has not yet told investigators what happened in the hotel room. Court records, according to our news partner KNDU-TV, indicated the mother was supposed to share custody of the two girls with their father, but she never dropped them off to him. She then went missing Friday, leading to a search of the Oregon coastline.
She has been charged with murder. Smith is pictured below.