DETROIT – The man charged in the kidnapping and believed murder of 2-year-old Lansing girl Wynter Cole Smith was on Tuesday ordered to stand trial after waiving his right to a preliminary examination.
Rashad Trice, 26, is accused of kidnapping Wynter from her mother in Lansing on July 2, stabbing and sexually assaulting the mother, stealing her vehicle, and ultimately murdering the 2-year-old. Trice was arrested in St. Clair Shores just hours after the toddler was kidnapped, but Wynter wasn’t in the car at that time. Law enforcement found Wynter’s body three days later in Detroit amid a search effort.
Trice was accused of committing crimes in three different counties -- Ingham, Macomb and Wayne counties -- but the Michigan attorney general moved to consolidate the case. Under an agreement with Michigan AG Dana Nessel and the county prosecutors, Trice has been charged with 20 crimes that include “seven potential life-sentence offenses,” Nessel said Tuesday.
Trice has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges, and on Tuesday, Oct. 31 waived his right to a preliminary examination. He was bound over to the 30th Judicial Circuit Court in Lansing to stand trial. A trial start date was not announced Tuesday.
Trice faces the following 20 charges, according to the state AG’s office:
- One count first-degree premeditated murder, a mandatory life-sentence felony without the possibility of parole.
- One count felony murder, a mandatory life-sentence felony without the possibility of parole.
- One count assault with intent to murder, a life-sentence felony.
- Two counts first-degree criminal sexual conduct, a life-sentence felony that would mandate lifetime sex offender registration and electronic monitoring.
- Two counts kidnapping, a life-sentence felony.
- One count first-degree home invasion, a 20-year felony.
- One count disarming a peace officer, a 10-year felony.
- One count second-degree fleeing and eluding, a 10-year felony.
- One count receiving and concealing stolen property valued between $1,000-$2,000, a 5-year felony.
- One count receiving and concealing stolen property, motor vehicle, a 5-year felony.
- One count unlawfully driving away an automobile, a 5-year felony.
- One count assault with a dangerous weapon, a 4-year felony.
- One count resisting and obstructing causing injury, a 4-year felony.
- Three counts resisting and obstructing, a 2-year felony.
- One count domestic violence - second offense, a 1-year misdemeanor.
- One count stalking, a 1-year misdemeanor.
“Today’s development moves our prosecution closer to presenting evidence in open court and proving these charges beyond a reasonable doubt,” Nessel said Tuesday. Officials said the case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General Cold Case Sexual Assault Project, a federally-funded project designed to combat domestic violence.
Details from the case
At 11:19 p.m. on Sunday, July 2, police were called to the Lansing home where Trice is accused of assaulting the 22-year-old mother of 2-year-old Wynter before the kidnapping occurred. Authorities have said Trice and the 22-year-old woman used to be in a relationship.
That night, Trice reportedly arrived at the home and sexually assaulted and stabbed the woman several times. The woman was able to escape from the house and call for help. Trice then allegedly kidnapped Wynter, stole the mother’s vehicle, and fled to the Detroit area.
Wynter’s 1-year-old brother was left at the home unharmed.
An Amber Alert was issued early in the morning on July 3. At around 4:45 a.m. that day, Trice was spotted by St. Clair Shores police, who attempted to pull him over. Trice sped away but crashed into another police patrol car not far away, and was arrested.
Police said Trice actively resisted arrest while being taken into custody at the crash scene. He was brought to a nearby hospital to be treated for injuries from the crash, according to officials.
Wynter was not in the car when Trice was arrested, and authorities said he did not “offer up anything to police” regarding the investigation.
Detroit police, Lansing police and the FBI worked together to establish the route traveled by Trice from Lansing to Metro Detroit and where he may have stopped. After three days of searching, Detroit police found Wynter’s body around 6:50 p.m. on Wednesday, July 12 in an alley on the city’s east side.
Investigators believe Trice killed the 2-year-old girl with a pink cellphone charging cord that was found with her body. Part of that same cord was found in the mother’s stolen vehicle that was driven by Trice, officials said.
---> See more: Timeline of Wynter Cole Smith case