A Frederick County judge has sentenced 24-year-old Trey Rice to life in prison, ordering that he serve 35 years behind bars, after Rice pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder and a third-degree sex offense in a brutal attack at a downtown holiday party.
The sentence, handed down Tuesday in Frederick County Circuit Court, stems from a January 2025 staff holiday gathering at McClintock Distilling. According to the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office, coworkers found a woman unresponsive on the restroom floor around 11 p.m. and called 911. Hospital staff at Frederick Health Hospital documented multiple injuries and ordered a Sexual Assault Forensic Examination. Prosecutors told the court they were seeking a sentence above Maryland’s usual guidelines because of the severity of the crime.
How prosecutors say it unfolded
Prosecutors said in court that Rice lured the woman into a bathroom, put her in a chokehold until she lost consciousness, and then sexually assaulted her while she was incapacitated. Rice later told hospital personnel, “I attacked a woman,” and admitted to investigators that he had experienced “homicidal thoughts” at the party, according to the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office.
In a powerful statement at sentencing, the victim told the judge, “I was left for dead…He is a danger to all women in our society. My life is changed forever. He robbed me of the peace I once had.” The prosecutor’s release also outlines supervision and special conditions, including GPS monitoring and lifetime sex-offender registration, that would apply if Rice is ever released to supervision.
Arrest and video evidence
According to business surveillance, Rice was seen leaving McClintock Distilling just as staff discovered the victim on the restroom floor. Employees told investigators that a bartender had knocked on the bathroom door moments before seeing Rice run out. After reviewing the footage and obtaining a search warrant, Frederick police arrested Rice at his Middletown home on Jan. 15, 2025, as reported by WFMD.
Sentence terms and supervision
Judge Scott Rolle imposed a life sentence and ordered that Rice serve 35 years in the Division of Corrections before he can be considered for any release, according to court proceedings and the prosecutor’s summary. After any release, prosecutors said Rice would be placed on five years of supervised probation with strict terms, including no internet access, no contact with the victim or minors, mandatory mental-health and psycho-sexual treatment, GPS monitoring and lifetime sex-offender registration. The case was handled by the Special Victims Unit, and Chief Assistant State’s Attorney Lindsey Carpenter represented the state.
Prosecutor reaction and what comes next
Prosecutors argued that guidelines alone did not capture the seriousness of the attack and said a longer term was needed to protect the community, according to WUSA9. With the guilty plea and life sentence in place, Rice’s custody and any future filings will move forward through Frederick County Circuit Court.
The victim’s statement at sentencing highlighted the ongoing trauma she continues to live with and became a central part of the state’s push for a tougher sentence. Court records and the prosecutor’s press release lay out the full timeline of the case and the long-term supervision Rice would face if he is ever released.
