Ex-boyfriend kidnapped and strangled his partner’s 2-year-old daughter with a charging cord after an altercation with the woman where he stabbed and indecently attacked her; pleads guilty
Michigan – In a harrowing case from Michigan that has captured the attention of the nation, the 27-year-old man, identified as R. Trice, pleaded guilty to the murder of a 2-year-old girl, Wynter, and the assault of her mother. This distressing incident, which involved kidnapping and ending the toddler’s life using a charging cord as a strangulation device, concluded with Trice facing a mandatory life sentence.
The court heard Trice’s guilty plea to charges of first-degree murder and first-degree criminal se**al conduct. Trice has admitted to his heinous actions that led to Wynter’s death and the traumatic assault on her mother in 2023. AG D. Nessel, overseeing the prosecution due to the multifaceted nature of the crimes across the state, expressed her deep condolences to the victims’ family. “The scars left by Mr. Trice’s horrific and brutal crime spree will forever etch themselves on the lives he shattered,” Nessel stated. She emphasized that while the legal resolution could not undo the damage, it aimed to facilitate a step towards healing for those affected.
Trice’s criminal actions first came to light following an emergency call from his ex-girlfriend on the night of July 2, 2023. She reported a violent encounter where she stabbed Trice in self-defense during an altercation at her apartment. Trice retaliated brutally, stabbing and se**ally assaulting her before she could escape, leaving behind Wynter and a 1-year-old boy. When police arrived, they could not find Wynter. The subsequent Amber Alert led to a high-speed chase, which ended in Trice crashing the vehicle he had stolen. Although Trice initially escaped capture and denied involvement in Wynter’s disappearance, the evidence in the car and subsequent investigations contradicted his claims.
Wynter’s body was discovered several days later, on July 5, in an alley. The autopsy revealed that she had been strangled with a pink cellphone charger, the same found in the crashed vehicle. This piece of evidence linked the horrific act directly to Trice. During his arrest, captured on body-worn camera footage, Trice expressed resignation over his fate, acknowledging the gravity of his crimes. “I’ll probably do the rest of my life in prison,” he told an officer, a statement that has proven prescient with his guilty plea.
Trice described the escalation of a financial argument with his ex-girlfriend that turned violently fatal, branding himself a “monster” during police interrogations. His actions have not only resulted in irreversible loss and pain for the affected families but have also ignited broader discussions on domestic violence and the protection of vulnerable children. Trice is facing life in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 16.
