Wisconsin teen sentenced to life in brutal slaying of 5-year-old boy found in dumpster Erik Mendoza, 18, has been sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in the murder of 5-year-old Prince McCree. Mendoza, who was 15 at the time, admitted to choking and striking the child before he and an accomplice disposed of the body. The case led to the passage of the Prince Act, expanding Wisconsin’s missing child alert system.

• Erik Mendoza, 18, received a life sentence for the killing of 5-year-old Prince McCree.
• Mendoza pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide and other charges.
• The crime involved choking and striking the child with a golf club, followed by the disposal of the body.
• The disappearance and death of Prince McCree prompted the creation of the Prince Act, enhancing the state’s missing-child alert system.
• McCree’s parents delivered emotional victim impact statements during the sentencing.