Missing 2-Year-Old Lansing Girl Found Dead In Detroit: Police

DETROIT — The body of a missing 2-year-old girl who was kidnapped from a Lansing home was found Wednesday night in Detroit, police said.

Officials found the body of Wynter Smith, 2, at roughly 6:50 p.m. in an alley with tall grass behind a home on Detroit’s east side near Olympia Street and Erwin Avenue, police said.

Lansing Police Chief Ellery Sosebee said the case moved from a missing child to a homicide investigation. Since the investigation is ongoing, he didn't provide any further details.

"This is not the outcome anyone hoped for. But I promise law enforcement will see the family gets the justice that they so deserve," Sosebee said.

Wynter Smith was last seen Sunday night in Lansing around 11:30 p.m. with 26-year-old Rashad Maleek Trice in a 2013 white Chevrolet Impala, officials said.

Officials believe Trice stabbed Wynter's mother, whom he had a relationship with, before he took the 2-year-old and drove away in the Impala. The mother was hospitalized in stable condition but has since been released from the hospital, officials said.

Officials believe Trice drove eastbound on Interstate 96 from Lansing into Detroit sometime around 1 a.m. Monday morning. He then got on eastbound Interstate 94 at around 2:40 a.m. until he exited the freeway in St. Clair Shores, where police said he crashed while fleeing officers around 5 a.m. Monday, officials said.

Wynter was nowhere to be found after the crash, officials said.

Officers arrested Trice in connection to the attack. After the crash, police took him to a nearby hospital, where he remains under police supervision, officials said.

Trice was charged with assault with intent to murder, first-degree home invasion, unlawful imprisonment, aggravated domestic violence (second offense), unlawful driving away of an automobile, felonious assault and two counts of first-degree criminal sexual assault.

This is a developing story and will be updated