DETROIT (WWJ) -- A Detroit man will spend the rest of his life in prison if he's convicted as charged with premediated murder for the strangling of his girlfriend.
Cortez Xavier Coleman, 42, was arraigned in 36th District Court Thursday morning on one count of first-degree, premeditated murder for the alleged crime on Friday, June 9.
The body of 48-year-old Stacy Smith was found Friday, June 9, after police responded to her home in the 20340 block of Berg Rd., just south of 8 Mile Rd. on Detroit's west side.
According to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, officers found Smith dead in her bedroom, with a stab wound to the chest and a burn on her right leg.
It is alleged, prosecutors said, that Coleman strangled the victim, fatally injuring her, then stabbing her with a knife and burning her before fleeing the scene.
Following an investigation by the Detroit Police Department Coleman was arrested on Monday, June 12.
There are no details at this time about what led up to the killing.
Following his arraignment, Coleman was remanded to the Wayne County Jail without bond. His next court appearance, a probable cause conference, is set for July 5.
A first-degree murder charge is punishable by life in prison without the possibility of parole.
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