The man accused of kidnapping and killing 2-year-old Wynter Cole Smith is due in federal court today.
Police say Rashad Trice abducted the toddler from her home in Lansing after assaulting her mother. He was later arrested in St. Clair Shores.
Wynter's body was discovered several days later in an alley on Detroit's east side.
Trice is expected to be arraigned in front of a federal grand jury on Monday.
He was previously in federal court last month after waiving his rights to a bond hearing for a preliminary hearing, here new details emerged about the day.
Police say he kidnapped Wynter after allegedly stabbing, beating and sexually assaulting her mother, leaving her for dead.
Police were able to track him through cell phone records to St. Clair Shores where he was ultimately taken into custody.
Search warrants of Trice's phone revealed a text thread to his father on Sunday night and into Monday morning where the 26-year-old allegedly texted, "I have to finish this. I love y'all," and another text saying "she's gone."
Days later, FBI agents found her body in an alley on Detroit's east side. Evidence points to strangulation as he cause of death.
During the preliminary hearing in July, a judge did find probable cause, but the judge did question if the case warranted federal charges. This could impact prosecutors' ability to ask for the death penalty. If convicted federally, he could face the death penalty.
At the state level, Trice is facing 20 charges including murder, kidnapping, assault and stalking.
