Father of murdered Jacksonville 2-year-old speaks out

March 2017, 2-year-old Alayna Williamson was murdered. The little girl was staying at the Inn Town Suites with her mother and her mother’s boyfriend, Brandon Smith, at the time.

Court documents lay out that the mother left her daughter in Smith’s care, and when she came back to the motel the child had bruising on her face.

The next day, the child was again left with Smith who again later called the child's mother and said Alayna was hurt. The 2-year-old became unresponsive.

Court filings also lay out that doctors found the little girl had brain swelling and lethal brain trauma.

Smith was indicted on first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse charges.

Alayna’s father, Johnathan Gomez, says he’s in disbelief.

“I was really shocked at first, and then from there went to anger, just couldn’t believe something like that could happen.”

Gomez says he wants justice for his daughter

“I would like to know what drove him to do such a thing, to beat a little girl.”

While at the hospital, documents say Smith left and went back to the hotel.

He asked staff to let him back inside the room to get his belongings and then fled.

Smith was picked up six days later in North Carolina by U.S. marshals and extradited to Jacksonville.

Smith is due back in court April 4 for a pretrial hearing.