A Michigan man accused of assaulting his ex-girlfriend and then kidnapping and killing her 2-year-old daughter was hit with nearly two dozen charges in connection with the “horrific and brutal crime spree,” officials announced.
Rashad Trice was taken into custody on July 3 in the St. Clair Shores area of Michigan. He’s now facing charges including one count of first-degree premeditated murder and one count of felony murder, the Michigan Attorney General’s office announced on Friday.
Both felonies carry a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole if convicted.
On July 2, Trice allegedly had a violent altercation over money with his ex-girlfriend inside her apartment, according to an affidavit obtained by ABC News. Police said he sexually assaulted and stabbed the victim, who then raced to a neighboring apartment to call the police. She left her daughter, Wynter Cole-Smith, and her 1-year-old son behind. When she returned, only the little boy remained.
Trice allegedly fled the scene in a stolen car with Wynter, but the child was not with him when he was arrested the following day, prompting police to issue an Amber Alert.
Wynter’s body was found in a Detroit alley following a three-day search. Police said Trice strangled the child with a pink cellphone charging cord. Part of the cord was found with the child’s body, while the rest was in the vehicle that Trice was in when he was arrested, according to the complaint.
“We have alleged today, and our many charges reflect, a horrific and brutal crime spree from Lansing to Detroit to St. Clair Shores,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement.
She also praised the county prosecutors “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 initially faced charges across three different counties in connection with the deadly attack, though the Michigan Department of Attorney General said it will prosecute all state charges in one trial, consolidating the case.
The previously announced local charges brought against Trice have since been dropped.
Trice is being held at the Newaygo County Jail.