Heartbroken Family Speaks After 2-Year-Old's Body Found In Detroit

MICHIGAN — The family of Wynter Smith, a 2-year-old girl whose body was found in an overgrown Detroit alley Wednesday night released a statement.

Here's the statement:

We are heartbroken over the loss of our beautiful daughter, granddaughter, cousins, niece and big sister, Wynter Cole Smith. Wynter's brief but bright life was taken from her unnecessarily; and we will grieve her death forever.

We wish to thank the FBI, all law enforcement, all the volunteers, and the Dock Ellis Foundation for their assistance, compassion and professionalism.

In remembering Wynter, we believe that is necessary to help make sure that this kind of tragedy never again touches any other family. Anywhere. We ask the State Legislature and Governor Whitmer to consider legislation that further ensures that multiple violent offenders remain in jail or prison as they are tragically a threat to all of us.

The family is planning a vigil in Wynter’s memory for tomorrow evening -- Friday, July 7 -- at 6 p.m., and we welcome the public to pray with us.

Wynter Smith was last seen alive 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.