When Wynter Cole-Smith’s mother got into a relationship with a man 4 years older, she didn’t know that the outcome would be thus detrimental. The revelation that he was bad news must have come after the events of Sunday night which consists of assault, stabbing, theft, kidnapping, and now, murder.
Wynter Cole-Smith, the unfortunate 2-year-old, had to pay the price. She was kidnapped and eventually killed and dumped in an alley after her mother and ex-boyfriend had an altercation.
Luckily, the alleged murderer, a 26-year-old (as of 2023) named Rashad Maleek Trice has since been arrested and even charged for his crimes.
Wynter Cole-Smith Went Missing After Her Mother Was Stabbed
The beginning of doom for the Cole-Smith family was Sunday evening when an altercation between the 22-year-old mother of Wynter and her ex-boyfriend spiraled out of control.
That July 2, 2023 night, police were dispatched to the 3000 block of Beau Jardin Drive on account of a possible stabbing. They got there and discovered Wynter’s mother who had been stabbed and assaulted.
Wynter’s mother gave the name of her assaulter to be Rashad Trice and she also revealed that he went away with her car. They were last seen together around 11:30 pm that night.
She was then taken to the hospital where she received treatment and was certified not to have any life-threatening injuries.
However, an Amber alert was sent out at about 2 am Monday morning on account of the child of the stabbed woman. The child was reported missing from her home and all fingers pointed to her mother’s ex-boyfriend.
The police began searching for the white 2013 Chevrolet Impala which belonged to Wynter’s mother that Trice stole. They eventually caught up with him around 6 am and began a chase that lasted for about 15 minutes.
The chase ended when Trice ran into a St. Clair Shore police vehicle at Little Mack Avenue. Rashad was then arrested but he was found without the missing girl.
Rashad Maleek Trice was hospitalized after sustaining injuries during his clash with the police car. He also refused to communicate with officials while receiving treatment.
Reports uncover that Wynter Cole-Smith isn’t Rashad’s biological daughter but he has a 1-year-old son with the toddler’s mother.
The 2-year-old Girl was Found Dead after Days of Going Missing
Wynter Cole-Smith’s search continued for days with a lot of people joining in. Not only were there authorities on the case and conducting the search, but well-meaning individuals also joined as well. There were charity organizations who availed themselves and resources to aid the process.
The hope in everyone’s heart was to find Wynter alive. The search also included a $25,000 reward for any information which would help in her discovery.
This search lasted from Monday morning through to Wednesday evening when it was called off.
The Lansing Police and FBI stopped the search after they uncovered a body of a toddler confirmed to be Wynter Cole-Smith.
At about 6: 50 pm Wednesday evening, Wynter Cole-Smith’s lifeless body was found. The body was found in an overgrown alley behind a house on Detroit’s east side. This location is also close to Coleman A. Young International Airport.
Police officials were led to the scene after rummaging through Trice’s phone. Data gotten from the phone showed that he was around the area and spent a lot of them there.
Devin Kowalski, who is the Acting Special Agent in charge of the case, stated that finding the lifeless body of Wynter wasn’t the outcome they were hoping for. He continued by saying the case will be treated as a thorough and deliberate crime investigation.
The evidence response team was instructed to comb the area for any more clues or alibi. Kowalski further commiserated with the Cole-Smith family.
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Wynter Cole-Smith’s Alleged Killer has Been Arrested and Charged
Following the discovery of Wynter’s de*d body in the alley and all fingers pointing to Rashad Trice, he has been charged. Interestingly, he isn’t a first-time offender. He has been described as a ‘habitual fourth offender’. The Ingham County Persecutor’s Office refers to Rashad’s crime as a brutal physical and s*xual assault.
The charges were made on Wednesday and they include;
- Assault with intent to murder
- First-degree home invasion
- Unlawful imprisonment
- Aggravated domestic violence second offense
- Unlawful driving away of an automobile
- Felonious assault
- 2 counts of first-degree criminal s*xual assault.
He is being held without bail and would be made to appear in a pre-trial Probable Cause Conference on Thursday 13, July 2023. The preliminary hearing was also slated for 20, July 2023.
