Rashad Trice facing 20 charges in kidnapping, death of Wynter Cole-Smith
(CBS DETROIT) - The man accused of kidnapping and killing 2-year-old Wynter Cole-Smith is facing 20 charges and life in prison, the Michigan Attorney General's office announced.
On Friday, Attorney General Dana Nessel announced the following charges against 26-year-old Rashad Maleek Trice:
- One count of first-degree premeditated murder
- One count of felony murder
- One count of assault with intent to murder
- Two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct
- Two counts of kidnapping
- One count of home invasion
- One count of disarming a peace officer
- One count of second-degree fleeing and eluding
- One count of receiving and concealing stolen property
- One count of receiving and concealing stolen property
- One count of unlawfully driving away an automobile
- One count of assault with a dangerous weapon
- One count of resisting and obstructing causing injury
- Three counts of resisting and obstructing
- One count of second-degree domestic violence - second offense
- One count of stalking
Officials say the state is charging Trice as a fourth-offense habitual offender.
This comes a week after Nessel announced the Department of Attorney General will conduct the state prosecution.
Officials say Trice is being held at the Newaygo County Jail on 18 state and federal felonies and misdemeanors.
"We have alleged today, and our many charges reflect, a horrific and brutal crime spree from Lansing to Detroit to St. Clair Shores," said Nessel in a statement.
Officials say Trice kidnapped Wynter after sexually assaulting her mother on July 2 in Lansing.
He was arrested in St. Clair Shores in the early morning hours of July 3. The child was not in the car at the time of the arrest, which prompted an Amber Alert. Three days after she was kidnapped, the little girl's body was found in an alley in Detroit following a search by federal and local investigators.
A federal criminal complaint alleges Trice strangled the child with a pink cellphone charging cord. Part of the cord was found with the child's body, while the other part was found in the vehicle that Trice was in when he was arrested, read the complaint.
Trice was charged in Ingham and Macomb counties in connection with the assault of the child's mother and fleeing from officers before the arrest.
Nessel said the state is working with Ingham County Prosecutor John Dewane, Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido, and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy to consolidate many charges into one prosecution.
"I remain appreciative for the coordination with Prosecutors Dewane, Lucido, and Worthy for their commitment to a singular, victim-centered prosecution that prioritizes and respects the tragic experiences of the surviving victims and the family of Wynter Cole-Smith," Nessel said.
"I am also grateful for the hard work and around-the-clock efforts of all law enforcement involved in the initial response, the pursuit of the defendant, and the search for Wynter."