Michigan toddler kidnapped and strangled to death with pink phone charger in horrifying murder with sick motive

A man has confessed to the horrific crime of kidnapping his ex-girlfriend's two-year-old daughter and murdering her using a pink mobile phone charger , as disclosed by the Michigan Attorney General's Office.

Rashad Maleek Trice, aged 27, made his confession on Monday in the 30th Judicial Circuit Court in Ingham County. He admitted to one count each of first-degree murder and first-degree criminal sexual conduct for the 2023 killing of toddler Wynter Cole-Smith and the assault of her mother.

The federal criminal complaint reveals that Trice's ex-girlfriend contacted the Lansing Police Department at around 11.19 pm on July 2, 2023, following a violent altercation in her flat where she claimed to have stabbed him in self-defense. The affidavit states that Trice retaliated by stabbing her multiple times and sexually assaulting her before she managed to escape the apartment, leaving behind Wynter and a one-year-old boy.

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Upon inspecting the apartment, police found the one-year-old but there was no sign of Wynter. The report further details how officers discovered that Trice had stolen his ex-girlfriend's mother's 2013 Chevrolet Impala, prompting an Amber Alert which included a photo of Wynter and a description of the car.

At around 4.50 am on July 3, a police officer in St Clair Shores, just outside Detroit and roughly 90 miles from Lansing, noticed the Impala and tried to stop it, reports the Mirror US . Trice, however, hit the gas, leading to a short pursuit that concluded with him smashing into another cop car, the affidavit states.

The document also notes that "a significant amount of blood was present in the vehicle consistent with Trice's stab wounds" and fragments of a pink charging cord were found inside. Yet, there was still no sign of Wynter, prompting an urgent manhunt.

Body cam footage from the arresting officers shows Trice refuting any role in Wynter's vanishing, insisting his last contact was when she was with her mum. Post-kidnapping, FBI agents tracked Trice's route using cell site analysis.

Wynter's lifeless body was tragically discovered at about 7 pm on July 5, dumped in an alley between Olympia Street and Edgewood Avenue near Erwin Avenue, not far from Coleman A Young International Airport.

The affidavit reveals: "[Wynter's] cause of death appeared to be strangulation with a pink cell phone charging cord, that was recovered with the body," It added, "The pink cell phone charging cord was consistent with the pink cord parts recovered from the Chevrolet Impala."

Trice is set for a mandatory life sentence behind bars. His official sentencing is scheduled for August 1. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel commented on the case, "The scars left by Mr. Trice's horrific and brutal crime spree will forever etch themselves on the lives he shattered," and added, "While nothing can ever fully heal the grief of Wynter's family and loved ones, I hope today's plea can be a step toward healing."

The state took over the prosecution due to the multiple crimes across Michigan, with Nessel's office stepping in instead of the county prosecutor's.

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"By consolidating the prosecution and securing a life sentence through plea, we have ensured the safety of the community while protecting surviving victims from the trauma of a lengthy trial."

Nessel remarked. This comes after Trice entered a guilty plea to federal charges concerning the same offences in March, with his sentencing in that matter set for July 19. In discussions with FBI agents, Trice admitted that an argument about money turned violent with his former partner. During this confession, Trice ominously said, "I am already a monster."

Additionally, police bodycam footage showed Trice making a grim declaration during his capture: "I'll probably do the rest of my life in prison."

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