In a tragic case that has lingered for over two years, a second individual has admitted guilt in the horrific murder of a young boy in Wisconsin. Erik Mendoza, now 18, has confessed to the slaying of 5-year-old Prince McCree, whose life was brutally cut short when his body was discovered in a dumpster near his home on October 26, 2023. Initially set for trial, Mendoza entered a guilty plea on Monday, admitting to charges of first-degree intentional homicide, hiding a corpse, and multiple counts of reckless endangerment. At the time of the crime, Mendoza was just 15 years old. He was apprehended alongside David Pietura Jr., 29, in connection with the case.

The legal proceedings against Pietura concluded earlier, as he pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide as an accomplice in June 2024. His sentence was severe: life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Now, all eyes turn to Mendoza’s sentencing, scheduled for June 5, as the community seeks closure and justice for young Prince.

Details from the criminal complaint, as reported by Law&Crime, reveal a chilling narrative. Both Mendoza and Pietura resided in the same home as Prince and his mother. On the fateful day of October 25, 2023, Prince, suffering from a sore throat, was kept home from school by his mother. As she rested, Prince descended to the basement to engage in video games, a space where Pietura also lived. After his mother went out for groceries, she returned to an unsettling scene: a dark and empty basement. Pietura claimed ignorance of Prince’s whereabouts when questioned by her.

Alarmed, Prince’s mother contacted the authorities. The ensuing police investigation uncovered blood stains on the basement floor. When questioned, Pietura explained the blood as a result of “roughhousing” between him and Mendoza, leading to Mendoza sustaining a bloody nose. This explanation, however, was belied by the grim discovery that followed, prompting a deeper probe into the events of that day.

Late that morning, Prince ventured down to the home’s basement to play video games. His mother went back to sleep, leaving Prince under the supervision of Pietura, who lived in the basement. After she went food shopping, Prince’s mother went to the basement to find her son. All the lights were turned off and no one was there. When she encountered Pietura, he told her he had not seen Prince.

Prince’s mother called the police, who came to look around the property. Detectives found blood on the basement floor and asked Pietura about it. Pietura claimed that he and Mendoza were “roughhousing,” and Mendoza ended up with a bloody nose.

As detectives moved throughout the property, they found blood in more locations. When they questioned Pietura, he provided a story that was quickly debunked by his own cellphone records. Detectives also noticed “a large amount of blood” on Pietura’s right leg. Pietura was arrested for obstruction while the search for Prince continued.

On Oct. 26, 2023, a K-9 unit detected human decomposition on the property. Using Bluestar — described in the probable cause affidavit as “a reagent used to reveal blood stains that have been washed out, wiped away, or are invisible to the naked eye” — detectives found more blood throughout the basement, and they questioned Pietura again. Pietura told detectives he witnessed Mendoza beating Prince with a golf club, and that they would find the golf club next to a furnace. Investigators located the golf club. Pietura also told police that he saw Mendoza “choking and beating” Prince.

Prince’s body was recovered later the same morning, “blood soaked, bound, and gagged.” He was wrapped in duct tape and several white garbage bags. Police said “it was clear” that the boy had been dead for “some time.”

Police recovered surveillance video from the neighborhood that caught Pietura and Mendoza disposing of Prince’s body on the afternoon of Oct. 25, 2023.

After finding Prince’s body, police arrested Mendoza on the afternoon of Oct. 26, 2023. Detectives confronted Mendoza with the video and the condition of Prince’s body, and he eventually admitted, “I strangled him.” He also admitted to striking the boy with the golf club, saying he knew he was still alive because he was “foaming from the mouth and crying.”

Mendoza and Pietura then took the boy outside, where Mendoza said he stomped on Prince’s head about 10 times. He “punched and kicked” the boy until he was “lifeless,” then both he and Pietura prepared to dispose of the 5-year-old. Pietura later admitted that he also took part in beating Prince in an attempt to keep him quiet. When the boy continued to whimper, Pietura said he dropped a 30-pound barbell on the boy’s head. Prince was silent for a while, but started to whimper again after he was wrapped up in garbage bags. The two convicted killers then “took turns” hitting the boy in the head with the golf club while he was bound and gagged inside the garbage bags.

Pietura then found “a concrete pedestal for a bird bath” and dropped it on Prince’s head two times. The boy never made another sound.

During his interview, Mendoza told police that he was responsible for three nonfatal stabbings that took place in the neighborhood. Mendoza claimed that he was “bored,” and “wanted to stab someone badly.” The three attacks were random, including one victim who was “just sitting there on his phone,” according to Mendoza.

Pietura was sentenced to life in prison without parole on July 26, 2024.

Mendoza was set to be tried as an adult. His defense attorney tried during the past two years to have the case dismissed and have Mendoza tried as a juvenile. When that failed, he attempted to have his client claim insanity. Mendoza was ruled competent to stand trial.