An 18-year-old man from Wisconsin, Erik Mendoza, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of 5-year-old Prince McCree. Mendoza, who was 15 at the time of the crime, killed McCree in October 2023 after the boy was reported missing by his mother. Police later discovered McCree's body in a dumpster approximately one mile from his home. Court documents indicate that Mendoza confessed to choking McCree and then striking him with a golf club.
The case prompted changes to Wisconsin law, leading to the establishment of the Prince Act, which expands the Amber Alerts system for missing children who do not meet existing criteria. The Milwaukee Police Department had requested an Amber Alert for McCree, but it was denied due to the criteria not being met. The Prince Act allows alerts to be issued for children under 18 who are missing and unable to return home due to a physical or mental condition, disability, or age.
Mendoza and his co-conspirator, David Pietura, disposed of McCree's body, and surveillance footage later showed them in an alley with a garbage bag on the day McCree went missing. Pietura initially misled investigators about their whereabouts, but cellphone GPS data contradicted his claims. Pietura pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide in 2024 and was also sentenced to life in prison. Mendoza, who pleaded guilty to multiple charges, will not be eligible for release for 50 years. During the sentencing hearing, McCree's parents expressed their grief and emphasized the need for improved child safety measures.