Wynter Cole Smith's father: 'I just hope that we can heal'

The father of Wynter Cole Smith said Friday he was shocked when he learned about the abduction of his daughter and sexual assault and stabbing of Symari Cole since he was in Tennessee.

Ajay Smith, 24, of Detroit is a senior at the University of Tennessee Martin studying communications and plays wide receiver for the school's football team.

Wynter was a "very smart, great, loveable young girl," Smith told The Detroit News. "Her smile was so contagious, and I don't see how anybody could ever hate that."

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Wynter Cole Smith, 2, was found dead Wednesday evening in a vacant lot on Detroit's east side after she was abducted late Sunday evening and an Amber Alert was issued.

On Friday, federal officials charged Rashad Trice, 26, with kidnapping and kidnapping resulting in death. He also was charged in state court in Lansing with beating and sexually assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Cole. Trice will be eligible for the death penalty if he is convicted of kidnapping resulting in death, and the mandatory minimum is life in prison.

Smith said he first learned about Wynter's abduction on Monday from Wynter's grandmother, who told him to "hurry up and get back" from Tennessee.

"At that moment, I was just in shock — like I couldn't move because that's not a phone call you can expect at any given moment," he said. "I didn't know what to do."

Smith said he feared he wouldn't be able to get back to Michigan, but with the help of his football coach and the university, he was able to fly home the same day.

He said he doesn't know what he'd like to have happen with the suspect since he can't get his daughter back.

"I didn't get what I wanted obviously, so it's like, what else can I get in replace of that?" Smith said.

Smith confirmed that he and Symari have authorized an official GoFundMe page, which was organized by Michele D. Fullen, Symari's first cousin.

"I just hope that we can heal from it ... but never forget, I guess," he said.

jaimery@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @wordsbyjakkar