Executive Summary
- Trial proceedings for Erik Mendoza begin Monday regarding the 2023 death of 5-year-old Prince McCree.
- Co-defendant David Pietura was sentenced to life in prison without parole in June 2024.
- The case catalyzed the passage of the “Prince Act,” expanding Amber Alert criteria in Wisconsin.
- Mendoza previously entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, leading to a psychological evaluation.
MILWAUKEE — Jury proceedings are scheduled to begin Monday for Erik Mendoza, the Milwaukee man accused of killing 5-year-old Prince McCree and disposing of his body in a dumpster in October 2023. According to court records, the trial follows a competency evaluation ordered in May 2025 after Mendoza initially entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.
Prosecutors allege that Mendoza, alongside co-defendant David Pietura, assaulted the child at a residence near 55th and Vliet streets. Investigative reports detail that the pair allegedly strangled McCree and beat him with multiple objects, including a golf club, a barbell, and a birdbath. Authorities stated that the boy’s body was subsequently bound with duct tape and left in a nearby dumpster.
David Pietura, the second individual charged in the homicide, pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide in June 2024. A Milwaukee County judge subsequently sentenced Pietura to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Mendoza’s legal proceedings were delayed while the court addressed his psychological evaluation, but the case has now been cleared for a jury trial.
The investigation into McCree’s death prompted significant legislative changes in Wisconsin regarding missing child protocols. At the time of the boy’s disappearance, Milwaukee Police stated that the circumstances did not meet the strict criteria for issuing an Amber Alert. In response, state lawmakers passed the "Prince Act," which expanded the criteria to allow Amber Alerts to be issued even in the absence of a specific suspect or vehicle description.
State Senator LaTonya Johnson, who lived near the McCree family at the time of the incident, emphasized the broader impact of the tragedy on state policy. "When we don’t do a good job of protecting our kids and we lose them… the state suffers because ultimately those kids are going to grow up, and they are going to do something positive for the state," Johnson said in a statement.
Legislative and Judicial Impact
The commencement of this trial marks a critical phase in a case that has already reshaped Wisconsin’s public safety infrastructure. While the judicial system addresses the criminal culpability of the accused, the legacy of the "Prince Act" signifies a shift in regulatory oversight regarding emergency alerts. The outcome of these proceedings will likely be scrutinized not only for its legal resolution but also for its closure to a community that prompted a statewide overhaul of missing person notification systems.
It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
