This is a heartbreaking and horrific case out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, involving the brutal murder of 5-year-old Prince McCree in October 2023. Here’s a clear breakdown of the key facts from the criminal complaint and court proceedings, based on the details you shared.
Timeline of Events
- Oct. 25, 2023 (Day of Killing): Prince stayed home sick from school. He went to the basement to play video games while under David Pietura Jr.’s (29) supervision. Suspects Erik Mendoza (then 15) and Pietura lived in the same house as Prince and his mother. Surveillance video later showed them disposing of the body that afternoon.
- Discovery and Initial Lies: Prince’s mother found the basement empty. Pietura claimed ignorance. Police found blood evidence; Pietura blamed “roughhousing” causing Mendoza’s bloody nose (debunked by phone records and visible blood on Pietura’s leg).
- Oct. 26, 2023: K-9 detected decomposition. Bluestar forensic spray revealed cleaned blood. Pietura confessed to witnessing Mendoza beat Prince with a golf club (found near furnace). Prince’s body was found blood-soaked, bound/gagged with duct tape and garbage bags in a nearby dumpster—clearly dead for hours.
- Confessions: Mendoza admitted strangling, golf club strikes, stomping Prince’s head ~10 times, punching/kicking until lifeless. Pietura admitted beating to silence whimpers, dropping a 30-lb barbell and concrete bird bath pedestal on his head, and taking turns clubbing the bound boy. Mendoza also confessed to three unrelated random stabbings out of “boredom.”
Legal Outcomes
| Suspect | Charges Pleaded Guilty To | Status/Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| David Pietura Jr. (29) | First-degree intentional homicide (as party to crime) | Life without parole (sentenced July 26, 2024) |
| Erik Mendoza (now 18) | First-degree intentional homicide, hiding a corpse, 3 counts reckless endangerment | Pleaded guilty Feb. 16, 2026 (avoided trial); sentencing June 5, 2026. Tried as adult despite juvenile defense bids (dismissal/insanity ruled out). |
Investigation Highlights
- Forensic Tools: Bluestar reagent detected washed-away blood; K-9 for decomposition; neighborhood video was pivotal.
- Mendoza’s Extras: Bragged about nonfatal stabbings (one victim “just sitting on his phone”).
- Context: All in one house; mother briefly asleep or shopping. Pietura arrested first for obstruction.
Prince’s death underscores failures in child supervision and the depravity involved—beatings continued post-mortem to ensure silence. Mendoza’s guilty plea closes a chapter after 2+ years of legal fights. For official updates, check Milwaukee County court records or Law&Crime’s coverage. What aspect of this case interests you most, like the forensics or juvenile justice angle?
