Body of 2-year-old Wynter Cole-Smith found in Detroit after days-long search

Police say they have recovered the body of a Lansing toddler who went missing earlier this week.

Wynter Cole-Smith was found Wednesday evening near Detroit’s Coleman A. Young Airport.

26-year-old Rashad Trice was arraigned on eight charges early Wednesday in connection with the case. Police say he assaulted Smith’s mother before taking her car and the girl Sunday night.

An Amber Alert was issued after that. Trice was arrested Monday in St. Clair Shores, but Smith was not with him.

The charges announced by Ingham County Prosecutor John Dewane include assault with intent to murder, two counts of criminal sexual conduct first degree, home invasion first degree, unlawful imprisonment, aggravated domestic violence second offense and unlawful driving away of an automobile and felonious assault.

During a Wednesday night news conference, Lansing Police Chief Ellery Sosebee said the case is now a homicide investigation.

“We will be coordinating with our federal partners in Lansing and Detroit as well as local and federal prosecutors as we continue to investigate and determine the appropriate new charges,” he said.

Sosebee said Trice is likely to face additional charges in the coming days. The Detroit resident remains held without bond.

“This is not the outcome anyone had hoped for, and I promise law enforcement will see that the family gets the justice that they so deserve,” Sosebee added.

In a separate press conference held Wednesday night in Detroit, FBI Acting Special Agent Devin Kowalski told reporters that law enforcement agencies are still gathering information.

“This will be a thorough and deliberate crime scene investigation. It will take time to carefully collect evidence that we need to help bring the person responsible to justice,” he added.

The Lansing Police Department collaborated with multiple law enforcement agencies and the FBI in the search for Smith. Authorities had focused their efforts on stretches of I-96 between Lansing and Detroit.

They believed that was the route Trice took after leaving the Lansing area with the girl.

Sosebee said his department as well as the FBI are still accepting information and witness statements connected to the case.

Ingham County Prosecutor John Dewane also provided an update Wednesday night in an emailed statement.

“Our office supports the efforts of our law enforcement partners at the state and federal level to hold those responsible for Wynter’s death accountable for their actions,” Dewane wrote.

Trice’s next court dates are a pre-trial Probable Cause Conference next week and a preliminary hearing later in the month, each before Judge Kristen Simmons.

In January of 2022, Trice was sentenced to two years of probation on multiple charges tied to a incident in 2021, including resisting and obstructing a police officer as well as assault with a dangerous weapon, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections.

This story originally appeared on wkar.org. WKAR’s Michelle Jokisch Polo and WDET’s Russ McNamara contributed to this report.