The search for a two-year-old Lansing, Michigan toddler has reached a tragic conclusion.

After an extensive three-day search, the FBI found the lifeless body of Wynter Cole Smith in a deserted alley in Detroit, approximately 100 miles east of her hometown.

The grim discovery came after an assault on Wynter’s 22-year-old mother, which coincided with the child’s disappearance. Authorities believe the incidents to be connected, thereby transforming the investigation from a case of a missing person to a potential homicide.

The main suspect in the case, 26-year-old Rashad Trice, who had a previous romantic relationship with Wynter’s mother, is alleged to have assaulted and stabbed her before abducting Wynter and fleeing in her car. The link between Trice and the child’s mother, as well as concerns for the child’s safety, were the factors that expanded the search operation, which extended along a major interstate from Detroit to the state capital.

The distressing news was conveyed by Lansing’s Police Chief, Ellery Sosebee, who, while not revealing more details, promised the grief-stricken family that they would obtain justice.