A Wisconsin court sentenced 18-year-old Erik Mendoza to life in prison for his role in the murder of Prince McCree, a 5-year-old boy whose disappearance and death shocked Milwaukee and prompted changes to the state's missing children law.

Mendoza, who was 15 years old when the crime occurred in October 2023, will not be able to apply for parole until he has served at least 50 years in prison.

In February of this year, the young man pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide, concealment of a body and three counts of recklessly endangering the safety of others, according to local media FOX 6 and WISN.

A crime that shook Milwaukee

Prince McCree was reported missing on October 25, 2023. According to authorities, his mother allowed him to go down to the basement of the family home to play video games. David Pietura, who was later convicted in the case, also lived in that same residence.

When the minor did not return, his mother alerted the police.

The next day, investigators located the boy's body inside a dumpster located approximately a mile from his home.

During the investigation, Mendoza confessed to strangling Prince and hitting him repeatedly with a golf club, according to court documents cited by local media.

Authorities also maintained that Mendoza and Pietura later hid the body. Surveillance camera recordings showed both carrying a bag of white trash through an alley on the same day the minor disappeared.

Key evidence

Initially, Pietura assured investigators that he and Mendoza had gone for a walk. However, cell phone geolocation records contradicted that version.

Later, Pietura led the agents to the location where the child's body was located.

Pietura pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide and received a life sentence in 2024.

The impact of the case

Prince McCree's death had repercussions beyond the judicial process. The case prompted the approval of the so-called Prince Law, a regulation that expanded the state alert system for missing children to include situations that do not meet the requirements of an Amber Alert.

Legislators and child protection advocates believed the measure would help more quickly mobilize resources and public attention in similar cases.

During the sentencing hearing, the boy's parents offered emotional testimony about the devastating impact the loss of their son has had on their lives.

Darron McCree, Prince's father, expressed his deep anger and pain in court, while Jordan Barger, the boy's mother, recalled that her son was just five years old when he was murdered.

“My baby didn't deserve any of this,” the mother said during the hearing.

Mendoza chose not to make statements before the judge handed down the sentence.