The suspect who kidnapped and killed 2-year-old Wynter Cole-Smith was sentenced on his local charges today.
Rashad Maleek Trice, 26, was sentenced to LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE after pleading guilty in July to First-Degree Murder and First-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct.
Trice faced local and federal charges. He still faces the kidnapping charges in federal court.
On July 2, 2023, the mother of Wynter Cole-Smith reported to the Lansing Police Department that she had been sexually assaulted & stabbed by Trice and ultimately fled her apartment to escape him. The two were in a dating relationship.
When police responded to her apartment, the suspect and her 2-year-old child were gone. A white Chevrolet Impala had also been stolen. On July 3, police attempted to stop the white Chevrolet Impala in St. Clair Shores and the driver attempted to flee. Police apprehended the driver, Trice, but Cole-Smith was not in the car.
After a massive search for the child, on July 5, 2023, law enforcement found Cole-Smith’s body in a Detroit alley.
According to the complaint, the cause of death appeared to be strangulation with a pink cell phone charging cord, that was recovered with the body. The pink cell phone charging cord was consistent with the pink cord parts recovered from the Chevrolet Impala.
On July 4, 2023, an FBI Agent interviewed Trice, who was Mirandized and agreed to speak to the FBI. Trice admitted that he and Wynter’s mother had been arguing about money on July 2, 2023, and the argument became violent, according to the complaint.
Trice also admitted that he was aware of the Amber Alert. Trice stated, words to the effect of, “I am already a monster.” Trice also stated that he wanted to ‘k-ll himself’, according to the criminal complaint. Trice was not Wynter’s biological father.
