“Perfectly Safe” Repeat Felon Kills Baby After Leaving Jail

“Perfectly Safe” Repeat Felon Kills Baby After Leaving Jail

On Sunday, July 2nd, 2023, while many Americans were getting ready for 4th of July celebrations, something sinister was about to happen in Michigan’s capital city. At 11:19 PM, 22-year-old Samari Cole was at home with her two-year-old daughter, Winter Cole Smith, and her one-year-old son on the 3000 block of Beau Jardin Avenue in Lansing. She shared a first-floor unit at the Town Square Apartments and Townhomes. It was a typical summer evening in Michigan, other than the fact that smoky air had drifted south from Canada—that was until Rashad showed up.

26-year-old Rashad Malik Trice was Samari’s ex-boyfriend and was well known to law enforcement. In fact, Rashad was a habitual offender and had run-ins with police in Clinton, Ingham, Livingston, Monroe, and Wayne Counties in incidents that ranged from driving violations, domestic violence, and fleeing police officers, among others. He was first sentenced to 224 days in jail for domestic violence and attempted resisting, assaulting, or obstructing a police officer in Monroe County stemming from a May 23, 2021 arrest. Both Samari and Winter were listed as victims in that case.

A week later, on May 31st, 2021, Rashad was arrested for obstructing police in Clinton County; he was sentenced to a year in jail for that offense. Yet again, in August of 2021, he was charged with assault and obstructing Michigan State Police in Livingston County. After that incident, which occurred in Handy Township, Rashad pled guilty and admitted in court records that he had fled from and assaulted two police officers in a motor vehicle, resisted and obstructed two officers, and operated a motor vehicle without a license. In January of 2022, he pled guilty to six counts and was sentenced to two years of probation for that incident. That probationary period was supposed to end on January 7, 2024.

I’m sure you’re seeing a pattern here—Rashad is racking up all sorts of similar charges and jail time, yet he doesn’t appear to be serving any of it. Less than three months later, Rashad was arrested for the fourth time by Lansing Police for fleeing and misdemeanor assault. He was sentenced to 93 days in jail in April of 2022 for that offense. In addition, Rashad had numerous other offenses which included driving without a license, failing to display a valid license, and having no proof of insurance. Many of these stemmed from him losing his license due to the fact that he’d racked up two or more felony convictions in seven years.

Although Samari and Rashad were previously in a relationship, Winter was not his daughter. Winter’s father was a man by the name of Al Mount “A.J.” Smith, who was a football player in his senior year at the University of Tennessee at Martin. According to a paternity case filed in Wayne County Circuit Court in 2022, Samari and Rashad did have one child together, a one-year-old boy.

While in Samari’s apartment, a struggle ensued. The young mother was assaulted before Rashad produced a weapon and stabbed her 15 times. Samari managed to escape the apartment and get help from a neighbor, but when officers arrived at her Beau Jardin Drive home at 11:30 PM, two-year-old Winter was missing, as was Samari’s white 2013 Chevy Impala. Thankfully, the one-year-old little boy was unharmed.

At 2:00 AM on Monday, July 3rd, an Amber Alert was officially issued for Winter Cole Smith. The alert included information about Rashad as well as the stolen vehicle. Soon, the FBI became involved, trying to piece together where Rashad went after leaving Samari’s Lansing apartment. According to authorities, he was in the city of Detroit around 1:10 AM. They believed that he left Detroit around 2:40 AM and traveled around the East Side. At 4:45 AM the same morning, Samari’s stolen Impala was seen in St. Clair Shores, a city 30 minutes northeast of Detroit along Lake St. Clair.

Police stated that they spotted the stolen vehicle in the area of Nine Mile Road and Harper Avenue. When an officer tried to pull him over, Rashad did what he always did in this situation—he sped off. Later, he crashed into another patrol car in the area of Little Mack Avenue and 10 Mile Road. According to the St. Clair Shores Police, Rashad actively resisted arrest while being taken into custody at the crash scene.

“With me, stop talking with me!”

“I took off… I got a broken hip! Call her, she has my son.”

“That’s fine, okay.”

“I got a daughter against the car…”

“Where’s the kid?”

“Her mother… her mom…”

“What?”

“Her mother’s house.”

He was brought to a nearby hospital for treatment of injuries from the crash. One of the officers inside the car was injured, but was treated for his injuries and later released. However, little Winter was nowhere to be found.

Almost 36 hours after Rashad was apprehended, police were still trying to determine what had happened to Winter. While many families were busy enjoying barbecues and fireworks displays, the authorities and Winter’s family were searching for answers. According to her grandmother, Sharon Eddings, she hoped that wherever her granddaughter was, she was with her in spirit. She said, “I feel like I’m there with her.”

The grandmother had understandably been on edge ever since the two-year-old was kidnapped. She, too, wanted answers. She said, “We would like to hear more from his parents. We don’t know if they’re up there. He’s not talking to the FBI; he refused to talk.”

According to Sharon, Samari attempted to fight back. She shared, and I quote: “When he stabbed her, from what I understand from her sister, she was able to stab him back, right? Wound him back. That’s when he grabbed Winter and threatened to harm her, and that’s when he left.” She continued, quote: “I went through something I’ve never felt before. I’ve lost people, I’ve grown up in Detroit, I’ve seen some stuff, but I’ve never had a child in danger. And so that was… I can’t even explain it. My bones shook.”

On July 4th, 2023, FBI agents and Lansing Police held a 4:00 PM press conference to ask the public for help. According to the authorities, Winter was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with rainbows on it. She stood about two feet tall, weighed 25 to 30 pounds, and had brown eyes and shoulder-length braided hair. During that briefing, the FBI announced a $25,000 reward for information that led to Winter’s discovery. Police also unveiled more specific information about the route Rashad took between Lansing and St. Clair Shores.

“What we need now is the public’s continued support and assistance to its known routes in the vehicle he was driving. As we are giving him this in a hard copy, we’ll also be able to provide that in another format later today. This route will be shared with everyone, and please push it out so everyone knows and has accurate information. This is an approximate route based on information that we’ve received since this incident started. If you have any security cameras or Ring doorbells, please check your systems. If you traveled the approximate route, please keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. If you own any property or work on any property close to the route, please take some time to look around and call if you see anything out of place or unusual. We will stay the course; we will continue to investigate this case to the fullest of our capabilities.

First and foremost, our hearts are with Winter Cole Smith and her family. It is a horrific situation, and the FBI has been involved in this investigation from the very beginning in support of Chief Josephine and the Lansing Police Department. We are bringing every resource we have—both here in our field office, in our sub-offices across the state, and drawing on our headquarters resources, including our Child Abduction Response Team, Behavioral Analysis Units, and other technical units—to assist the Lansing Police Department.”

On Wednesday, July 5th, 2023, at 2:15 PM, prosecutors announced charges against Rashad in connection with the attack on his ex-girlfriend. He was arraigned in the hospital while under the watch of Lansing police officers. He was charged with assault with intent to murder, first-degree home invasion, unlawful imprisonment, aggravated domestic violence, unlawful driving away of an automobile, felonious assault, and two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. As Rashad was a violent habitual fourth offender, he was held in custody without bond pending the rest of the investigation. Additional charges linked to Winter were possible.

Reporters also spoke with Winter’s father, A.J., who described his little girl as kind, trusting, and expressive. He said, quote: “She gets along with everybody. Sadly, she trusts him, so she may not have even given it a second thought—that’s just how much of a good kid she is. She doesn’t see evil in nobody, and for somebody to take advantage of that is just not right,” end quote.

According to A.J., he heard about his daughter’s disappearance through a phone call from her mother shortly after she was taken. He said, “When she called me, the first thing she said was, ‘He took the kid. He took Winter.'” The father traveled back to Michigan from his school in Tennessee as soon as he got word. He said, quote: “I tried the best I could do from that far away. I called the Lansing Police; they took forever, but I’m just glad they’re doing something about it now, and I just hope it’s not too late,” end quote.

But sadly, it was too late. At 6:50 PM that same evening, Detroit police officers and FBI agents performing a grid search between I-94 and Van Dyke Avenue made a grisly discovery: in an overgrown alleyway near Olympia Street and Irwin Avenue on the city’s East Side was the body of two-year-old Winter Cole Smith. She was dead.

“At approximately 6:50 PM this evening, the body of Winter Cole Smith was recovered by FBI agents. This is not the outcome we were hoping for, and our hearts go out to Winter’s family. Based on information developed throughout this investigation, our teams were searching multiple areas across the state over and over again, and specifically in the area adjacent to where we’re standing. Our Evidence Response Team is currently processing the scene. Our best people are back there to do what is necessary to be as respectful as possible to Winter and her family. This will be a thorough and deliberate crime scene investigation. It will take time to carefully collect evidence that we need to help bring the person responsible to justice.”

According to authorities, Rashad was not at all helpful throughout the search. However, his cell phone revealed where he had gone between the attack in Lansing and his eventual arrest in St. Clair Shores. Officials went through the data on his phone and identified various areas around Metro Detroit where he drove and spent time. One of those areas was I-94 and Van Dyke Avenue. FBI agents and Detroit police officers spent four to five hours on the grid search before finding Winter’s body in the alleyway. As of the date of this recording, police have not shared what charges would be filed in connection with her death.

In the days following the discovery of Winter’s body, a makeshift memorial was built at the site where her tiny body was recovered. Neighbors adorned a street sign with balloons, while Detroit police officers dropped off teddy bears. On Thursday, the 6th, community members led by Pastor Maurice Hardwick—known in the area as Pastor Mo—held a vigil in the streets, while Winter’s family held their own vigil the following day.

“How many—raise your hands if you was impacted by what happened to baby Winter. Yeah, everybody out here. Yeah, I don’t think anyone can look at the pictures of that pretty little girl and not just ache for her mother and her entire family.”

Pastor Mo, who’s been a fixture in trying to curb violence in the city for years, was as impassioned as I have ever seen him tonight:

“It ain’t about race and color, but I want to be known around the world: we do not condone this BS here! Putting out a demand for women and children to be cared for, and a plea to young men: I want you to look at this, and you will become a man of standard and love your sister and your daughters against women!”

Winter’s family was not in attendance tonight—they will be here tomorrow—but one of her aunts thanked everyone for coming:

“We’d like to thank you. We are so grateful for all of your support. We’re so grateful for all of your love, your condolences, your hugs, and most of all, we’re thankful for your prayers.”

Those prayers ended tonight with a hymn for Winter.

In the wake of Winter’s death, her family issued the following statement, quote: “We are heartbroken over the loss of our beautiful daughter, granddaughter, cousin, niece, and big sister, Winter Cole Smith. Winter’s brief but bright life was taken from her unnecessarily. We will grieve her death forever. We wish to thank the FBI, all law enforcement, all the volunteers, and the Doc Ellis Foundation for their assistance, compassion, and professionalism. In remembering Winter, we believe that it 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 Gretchen 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,” end quote.

Winter’s grandmother is encouraging folks to donate to the Doc Ellis Foundation, whose mission is to empower minority communities by bringing home missing persons. In addition, the family has put together a GoFundMe page to help Winter’s mom and dad as they take the needed time away from work to recover physically, emotionally, and mentally. Samari will also need to relocate from the home in which the brutal attack took place, as well as replace the vehicle that was stolen.

Winter’s father, A.J., was understandably heartbroken. He said, quote: “I’m angry that she’s gone. I’m angry she had to deal with that. I’m upset that I didn’t get to see her. I’m upset I don’t get to be with her. I’m upset I wasn’t here for her. A lot of this just doesn’t feel real,” end quote.

According to his father, Al Mount Smith Sr., although his son was living and attending school in Tennessee, he was working hard to give his little girl a better life. He said, quote: “My son, he worked so hard to go to college to play football so he could live a dream for him and Winter,” end quote.

The loss of Winter Cole Smith was a tragedy for everyone in Michigan, including the authorities and first responders that were tasked with the grim duty of searching for her. The Michigan State Police Second District shared the following post to their official Twitter account. It read, quote: “It is easy to judge humanity on the actions of one evil person. I refuse to do so, as should you. We are better than the actions of one evil person. May God bless and keep you, Winter. We wish your family peace. We are heartbroken,” end quote.

Although little Winter has been found, the authorities are still asking the public to send any information, including digital evidence and witness statements, to the Lansing Police Department or the FBI tip line. Tips can also be sent to tips.fbi.gov. The authorities have been pretty tight-lipped now that little Winter has been found, so we’ll be keeping an eye out for updates as they become available. As of the date of this recording, Rashad has yet to be charged with her murder, and the medical examiner has yet to release the cause of death. But today, our hearts are with Winter’s family, the cities of Lansing and Detroit, and the entire state of Michigan.