Wisconsin Teen Gets Life Sentence For 2023 Killing Of 5-Year-Old
In Milwaukee on Friday, June 5, 2026, Erik Mendoza, 18, was sentenced to life in prison with eligibility to petition for release after 50 years for the killing of 5-year-old Prince McCree.[1]
He pleaded guilty in February 2026 to first-degree intentional homicide, hiding a corpse and three counts of second-degree recklessly endangering safety.[1] His co-defendant, David Pietura, earlier pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide and was sentenced to life in 2024.[1]
Prince McCree, 5, disappeared in October 2023, and his body was found Oct. 26, 2023, in a dumpster near North 55th Street and West Vliet Street, about a mile from his home.[1] The case prompted passage of Wisconsin's Prince Act, which expanded the state's missing-child alert system to include cases that do not meet Amber Alert criteria.[1]
Show source details & analysis (1 source)
📌 Key Facts
- On Friday, June 5, 2026, Erik Mendoza, 18, was sentenced in Milwaukee to life in prison with eligibility to petition for release after 50 years.
- Mendoza pleaded guilty in February 2026 to first-degree intentional homicide, hiding a corpse and three counts of second-degree recklessly endangering safety in the October 25, 2023 killing of 5-year-old Prince McCree.
- McCree's body was found October 26, 2023, in a dumpster near North 55th Street and West Vliet Street, about a mile from his home.
- Co-defendant David Pietura earlier pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide and received a life sentence in 2024.
- The case led to Wisconsin's Prince Act, expanding the state's missing-child alert system to cases that do not meet Amber Alert criteria.
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time