LANSING (WWJ) -- Murder has now been added to the long list of charges against the suspect in the death of two-year-old Wynter Cole-Smith.
Michigan Attorney General (A.G.) Dana Nessel announced new charges Friday against 26-year-old Rashad Maleek Trice of Lansing. These include One Count First Degree Premeditated Murder and One Count Felony Murder. Both are mandatory life-sentence felonies without the possibility of parole.
"We have alleged today, and our many charges reflect, a horrific and brutal crime spree from Lansing to Detroit to St. Clair Shores,” Nessel said in a Press Release.
“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.”
Trice faces a lengthy list of state charges in the tragic murder of Wynter Cole-Smith, the violent assault of her mother and the ensuing police pursuit that began in Lansing July 2nd and ended in St. Clair Shores on July 3rd.
Trice also faces two federal charges, Kidnapping and Kidnapping Resulting in Death. If convicted, the federal charges could result in the death penalty.
Trice allegedly sexually assaulted and stabbed his former girlfriend, kidnapped her daughter, Wynter, and stole her mother’s car. Trice is said to have murdered the toddler before resisting arrest and being apprehended in St. Clair Shores.
The two-year-old girl was discovered in a Detroit alley July 5th, after a three-day search involving multiple law enforcement agencies from Lansing to Detroit, Michigan State Police and FBI agents.
The Attorney General's Office recently announced an agreement between A.G. Nessel, Ingham County Prosecutor John Dewane, Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy to consolidate the state charges.
Charges previously announced against Trice by county prosecutors will be dropped now that state charges have been filed by the Attorney General.
By consolidating the prosecution, the Department hopes to minimize traumatizing effects of multiple trials and obligations that could be brought on the family of Cole-Smith and her mother, surviving victims and witnesses.
Trice has been charged with the following:
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 1st 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 Home Invasion, first degree, a 20-year felony; One Count Disarming a Peace Officer, a 10-year felony; One Count 2nd 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 Second Degree Domestic Violence - Second Offense, a 1-year misdemeanor; and, One Count Stalking, a 1-year misdemeanor.
The State is charging Trice as a 4th Offense Habitual Offender.
Trice is currently being held at the Newaygo County jail.
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