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Man Indicted For Murder Of Jacksonville Girl

JACKSONVILLE (CBS4/AP) — A man accused of kidnapping and killing an 8-year-old Jacksonville girl has been indicted.

Cherish Perrywinkle was abducted from a Jacksonville Walmart June 21 and her body was found near a church June 22.

The State Attorney's Office sais 56-year-old Donald Smith was indicted on Tuesday.  Charges include first-degree murder, kidnapping and capital sexual battery.

The indictment states that Perrywinkle was strangled.

Smith had a lengthy rap sheet of convictions for sex crimes against children and was released from jail just 21 days before the murder.

Until the indictment, authorities had not released many details on how Cherish died or whether she was sexually abused.

Smith's being held in jail without bail awaiting his next court hearing.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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