DETROIT (WXYZ0 — A Detroit man has been charged with first-degree murder after police say he strangled his fiancee late last week.
42-year-old Cortez Xavier Coleman entered a not guilty plea after being arraigned in court Thursday morning via Zoom. Attorneys in the case say Coleman has no known criminal history. However, he is being held without bond.
Police say the victim, who has been identified as 48-year-old Stacey Smith, was found inside her home on Berg Rd. near 8 Mile. Police say Smith had been strangled to death. The 48-year-old also had a stab wound and a burn wound on her right leg, according to police.
"She was like my sister. We called each other sister," said Tamika Teamer.
Teamer says she met Smith 14 years ago when her son Keith was born. Teamer says at the time she was working as a medical assistant at a hospital in Southfield and Smith was one of her patients. She says they were both single mothers and developed a close bond outside of the hospital after the meeting.
"That girl had a smile out of this world. She was kind, polite, would give the shirt off her back and she was a damn good mother," said Teamer.
Teamer says she was shocked to hear the news Friday as many close to Smith say there were no prior signs of abuse.
"I immediately broke down. I cried the rest of the day at work. I’ve dealt with some losses myself the last two months back to back so it was really mind-blowing for me when I got that phone call about Stacey," said Teamer."I’m just still trying to grasp it. I'm still in shock about it because like I said whatever went on, however, she didn’t deserve that."
Smith leaves behind two children. Her 19-year-old daughter Kaiya says she was the one who discovered her mother's body.
"I was shocked. I didn’t of course expect to come home to see my mom like that," said Smith. "I didn’t think what I was seeing was real. I still have not processed what’s going on."
Smith says she wants her mother to be remembered as more than just a headline.
"My mom was amazing. She was a very caring spirit. She was beautiful. She was fierce. She was loyal. A great mom, aunt, sister," said Smith as she described her mother.
The 19-year-old went on to say her mom was always the brightest light in every room. She says her mom was known as someone who always had a joke.
"My mom was never afraid to tell people her age. She was 48 and she used to tell me all the time 'You better hope you look this good at 48," said Smith.
Smith says any free time her mom had was spent cooking family meals, celebrating Kaiya's achievements or cheering on her younger brother at football games. Smith laughed as she shared her mom could always be heard yelling over the over parents.
"I’ve never, in my whole life, went a day feeling like my mom wasn’t proud or feeling like I wasn't good enough. She always made sure to let us know that we were bright," said a tearful Smith."My mom sacrificed so much for us, like, literally anything we wanted to do, she threw her money at it and made sure we were there."
Smith says the road ahead will be tough but she’s grateful for all her mom gave her while she was here.
"I would want her to know I love her and I would want to thank her for everything she’s ever done for me," said Smith. "I might not have said it enough but I really appreciate her, a lot."
The Smith family set up a crowdfunding campaign to help pay for Stacey's funeral arrangements. They say any additional dollars raised will be used to support Kaiya and her younger brother.
Coleman is due back in court July 5th for a probable cause hearing. 7 Action News reached out to his attorneys Thursday afternoon for comment but did not hear back.
