Second life sentence for the murder of two-year-old Wynter Cole-Smith

LANSING (WWJ) The Lansing man who pleaded guilty to kidnapping and murdering 2-year-old Wynter Cole-Smith has been sentenced to a second life term in prison, according to Mark Totten, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan.

“Today we achieved a measure of justice,” Totten said in a press release. “We cannot bring back Wynter Cole-Smith's precious life, but we can do our best to ensure her killer is found guilty and spends the rest of his life in prison, and that is exactly what we did today.”

Rashad Trice's sentencing in federal court came just a week after an Ingham County judge sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole after he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and sexual assault in July. The Ingham County judge also sentenced him to a concurrent term of 60 to 90 years for the stabbing and sexual assault of Wynter's mother.

In March, 27-year-old Trice pleaded guilty in federal court to kidnapping resulting in death.

According to a criminal complaint obtained by WWJ Newsradio 950, Trice got into an argument with Wynter's mother over money at their Lansing apartment on Sunday, July 2, 2023. He stabbed her and sexually assaulted her, the complaint states.

She and Trice had a one-year-old son together, but he was not Wynter's father.

Prosecutors said Trice abducted Wynter in a stolen white Chevrolet Impala. Authorities issued an Amber Alert. The next day, police attempted to stop the Impala in St. Clair Shores, leading to a chase. Police arrested him, but Wynter was not in the car.

Federal, local, county and state police officers from about 30 departments and agencies joined forces to bring her home safely. The search stretched from Lansing to Detroit – guided by data from Trice's cellphone, prosecutors said.

That Wednesday, their efforts ended in a heartbreaking way. They found Wynter's body near Coleman A. Young International Airport in downtown Detroit. The cause of death was listed as strangulation – and authorities claimed Trice used her mother's phone charger as the murder weapon.

“Our hearts are still breaking for little Wynter. She should still be here,” said Dawn N. Ison, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, in the press release. “The tireless search and coordination of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies across the state over several days to bring her home safely truly demonstrated the dedicated, cooperative effort we put into working every day to protect and serve our citizens. While nothing will bring little Wynter back, I hope her family finds some comfort in this effort and today's verdict.”

Because of the federal court's indictment against Trice, he was initially facing the death penalty, even though Michigan had abolished the death penalty in 1846. However, in October 2023, federal authorities announced that they would not seek the death penalty in this case.

In an earlier statement, Wynter's family said they would “mourn her death forever.”