MILWAUKEE, Wis. — An 18-year-old Wisconsin man has been sentenced to life in prison for his role in the horrific murder of 5-year-old Prince McCree, whose body was discovered in a dumpster near his Milwaukee home.

Prince was reported missing on October 25, 2023, after his mother allowed him to play video games in the basement of their multi-story home. She believed he was downstairs with 27-year-old housemate David Pietura, who lived in the basement and frequently played video games with the child.

Both Pietura and then-15-year-old Erik Mendoza were staying in the house, giving them easy access to the young boy.

When Prince could not be found, his mother contacted police. The following morning, officers discovered the child’s body in a dumpster approximately one mile from the family’s residence.

According to investigators, Mendoza admitted to choking Prince and striking him multiple times with a golf club. Court records indicate that Mendoza and another individual later dumped the boy’s body. Surveillance video captured two people carrying a white garbage bag through an alley on the day of the disappearance.

Prosecutors said the other man, Pietura, initially lied to police, claiming he and Mendoza were simply out for a walk. Cellphone data contradicted his story, and he eventually led authorities to the child’s body.

Pietura pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide and was sentenced to life in prison in 2024.

Mendoza pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide, hiding a corpse, and three counts of second-degree recklessly endangering safety. At his sentencing hearing on Friday, Prince’s parents delivered emotional victim impact statements.

His father, Darron, told the court he wished Mendoza would “die and burn,” adding that the tragedy has changed him forever and that his life now revolves around his surviving children.

Prince’s mother, Jordan Barger, said her “baby didn’t deserve anything” that happened to him. She highlighted the vast difference in age and vulnerability between a 5-year-old and a 15-year-old, and expressed relief that justice had been served.

Mendoza declined to address the court.

Under the terms of his sentence, Mendoza will not be eligible for release for 50 years.