Episode 3: Zymere Perkins

Suffer the Little Children

Suffer the Little Children Pod

Social Sciences, True Crime, Society & Culture, Science

4.6 • 993 Ratings

🗓️ 10 March 2020

⏱️ 35 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In September of 2016, Geraldine Perkins ran into the ER at Mount Sinai St. Luke's Hospital in New York City, carrying the lifeless body of her 6-year-old son, Zymere. She told medical staff that Zymere had fallen off his bed. The truth that was eventually revealed was darker than anyone could have imagined.Zymere had been beaten to death by his mother's boyfriend, Rysheim Smith, using a splintered broomstick and a shower rod, and this was far from the first time Zymere had suffered at the hands of his mother and her boyfriend. Zymere’s murder highlighted many of the shortcomings of New York City’s Administration of Children’s Services (ACS).Photos related to today's episode can be viewed on Facebook and Instagram. You can also follow the podcast on YouTube, Twitter, Tumblr, and Pinterest. Visit the podcast's web page at sufferthelittlechildrenpod.com. Become a patron to access rewards, including a shout-out by name on the podcast and exclusive show merch!This podcast is written, hosted, and produced by Laine. Zymere’s story was originally covered on Suffer the Little Children Blog.Music for this episode was created by Laine using sounds from AudioJungle.com. Subscribe to Suffer the Little Children on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast listening platform.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Oh, he's cute. Mr. I can never sleep when I'm traveling. He's hugging his pillow like a sloth on a branch.
0:10.0	He couldn't sleep before. Now listen to him. Sounds like an elephant with a chest infection.
0:15.0	Well, they call him a dreamer. And now they're right.
0:19.0	All aboard, Mr. I can never sleep when I'm travelling. Find all the comfort you need in the
0:25.1	quiet lounge. Pieno Ferries, there is another way.
0:28.9	This podcast contains descriptions of violence against children and adult language and is not intended for all audiences.
0:37.0	Listen or discretion is advised.
0:40.0	Hi guys and welcome to suffer the little children the true crime podcast giving
0:44.7	voices back to the victims of child abuse and shining a harsh spotlight on the
0:48.6	parents guardians and caretakers who silenced them. I'm your host, Lane, and this is episode 3, Zaimir Perkins.
0:57.0	A little housekeeping up front. This episode will be a little shorter than the last two, but that's just because there was a lot less information
1:03.5	available online about this one, and it was next to impossible to find audio or video
1:08.2	clips from the trial. I'm going to aim to keep each episode between, say, 45 minutes to an hour for consistency
1:14.6	sake.
1:16.6	Before I get started on today's case, I wanted to give a quick update on the case of A.J.
1:21.1	Friend, who I covered in episode one. That is the sound of the house at 94 Dole Street in Crystal Lake.J. was murdered being demolished on Wednesday, March 4, 2020.
1:47.0	Neighbors and community members lined the street to watch the House of Horrors come down and to honor five-year-old A.J.'s mother, Joanne Cunningham, pled guilty to his
1:56.4	murder in December, and this week her sentencing was set. It will take place on April 30th, 2020.
2:04.0	His father, Drew Frund, stood in front of the same judge this week and waved his right to a jury trial,
2:09.0	requesting instead a bench trial, which means a judge alone will be responsible for deciding whether or not Drew is guilty.
2:16.0	His lawyer Henry Sugden has said they are still trying to come to a satisfactory plea deal but one has not yet been agreed upon.
2:23.4	I'll keep you posted about future updates, both on the podcast and on suffer the little children
	...

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