Nessel to consolidate cases against Rashad Trice in state-led prosecution
Lansing — Attorney General Dana Nessel is moving to consolidate cases against Rashad Trice from three different counties under the umbrella of her department, streamlining the prosecution of the 26-year-old man accused of killing 2-year-old Wynter Cole Smith.
Nessel's office also is reviewing evidence to determine a potential murder charge against Trice.
All state charges will be pursued in one trial led by the attorney general's office in Lansing, Nessel said. Trice's federal charges will remain part of separate proceedings in federal court.
"This is a tragic case, and by consolidating the prosecution into one venue, we are recognizing the hardship the surviving victim and family continue to face," said Nessel.
The criminal charges against Trice stem from an alleged July 2-3 crime spree, in which Trice is accused of stabbing and sexually assaulting his ex-girlfriend in Lansing; driving away with her 2-year-old daughter Wynter; strangling Wynter with a phone cord and leaving her in a Detroit alley; and then attempting to flee police in St. Clair Shores.
The July 2-3 spree has led to state charges in Ingham and Macomb counties and charges of kidnapping causing death in federal court.
In a statement Thursday, Macomb County Prosecutor Pete Lucido said he supported Nessel taking over the case to "consolidate justice and reduce the painful burdens" on victims and family, most of whom live in Ingham County.
"By consolidating resources ... it will allow truth and justice to be pursued and bring about a resolution that will not only be fundamentally fair but offer solace to the victim's family," Lucido said in a statement.
In Macomb County, Trice is charged with third-degree fleeing and eluding, receiving and concealing a motor vehicle, assault with a dangerous weapon and resisting and obstruction regarding his interactions with police in St. Clair Shores.
In Ingham County, Trice is charged with counts that include assault and criminal sexual conduct.
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"By having one prosecutorial entity handling the entire course of conduct, there will be a single point of contact for law enforcement, consistency for the victims and Wynter's family as well as provide for judicial economy by having consolidated court hearings," Ingham County Prosecutor John Dewane said in a statement.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy also voiced support for Nessel taking over the case and said state prosecutors had "caucused" about the path forward.
"It is critically important to all of us that we consider how Wynter's mother will have to cope with the facts in this case — her daughter's kidnapping and murder, as well as her own vicious assault," Worthy said in a statement. "She should not have to travel back and forth to Detroit and any other jurisdiction among various courts."
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