1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: Crime Alart hourly update, breaking crime news Now, I'm Nicole Parton. 2 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:08,560 Speaker 1: Over two years after the tragic discovery of a Wisconsin 3 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 1: boy's body in a dumpster close to his home, a 4 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:16,240 Speaker 1: second person has admitted guilt in the case. Eric Mendoza, 5 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:18,919 Speaker 1: now eighteen, was on the verge of facing trial for 6 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: the murder of five year old Prince McCree, whose battered 7 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,759 Speaker 1: remains were found wrapped in trash bags and discarded in 8 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:29,400 Speaker 1: a dumpster on October twenty sixth, twenty twenty three, but 9 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 1: on Monday, Mendoza entered a guilty plea to charges including 10 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:37,880 Speaker 1: first degree intentional homicide, concealing a corpse, and three counts 11 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 1: of reckless endangerment. At the time of the incident, Mendoza 12 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: was just fifteen years old, and he was arrested alongside 13 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: twenty nine year old David Petira Junior. In June twenty 14 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 1: twenty four. Petira also pleaded guilty to first degree intentional 15 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 1: homicide as an accomplice and was sentenced to life in 16 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 1: prison without the possibility of parole. Mendoza's sentencing is set 17 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: for June five. A criminal complaint reveals that Mendoza and 18 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 1: Petura resided in the same house as young Prince and 19 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:12,760 Speaker 1: his mother. On October twenty five, twenty twenty three, the 20 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:16,640 Speaker 1: day Prince disappeared, his mother kept him home from school 21 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:19,920 Speaker 1: because he was sick with a sore throat. Later that morning, 22 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 1: Prince went to the basement of their home to play 23 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:25,400 Speaker 1: video games while his mother took a nap, leaving him 24 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 1: under Peturah's supervision. After running errands, his mother returned to 25 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: the basement looking for Prince, but found it empty with 26 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 1: all the lights off. When she asked Pantira about her son, 27 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 1: he claimed he had never seen him that day. Concerned, 28 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:44,319 Speaker 1: Prince's mother contacted police, who conducted a search of the property. 29 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 1: Detectives discovered blood on the basement floor and questioned Petira 30 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: about it. He explained that he and Mendoza had been 31 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: rough housing, resulting in Mendoza having a bloody nose. As 32 00:01:56,520 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 1: detectives continued their investigation, they found additional blood stains in 33 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 1: various areas. When questioned again, Peterra's account was quickly contradicted 34 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 1: by his cell phone records. Detectives also observed a significant 35 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: amount of blood on Petera's right leg, leading to his 36 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:17,279 Speaker 1: arrest for obstruction while the search for young Prince continued. 37 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 1: On October twenty sixth, twenty twenty three, a canine unit 38 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 1: detected signs of human decomposition on the property using the 39 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: Blue Star technique, which highlights concealed blood stains. Detectives uncovered 40 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 1: more blood throughout the basement and again questioned Pantera. He 41 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 1: then claimed to have witnessed Mendoza assaulting Prince with a 42 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 1: golf club and indicated that the weapon would be found 43 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: near the furnace. Investigators retrieved that golf club. Peterra also 44 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 1: reported seeing Mendoza choking and beating the five year old. 45 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 1: Later that morning, authorities discovered Prince's body, blood soaked, bound 46 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 1: and gagged, wrapped with duct tape and multiple trash bags. 47 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 1: Law enforcement officials noted there was evident signs that the 48 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:07,360 Speaker 1: child had been dead for some time. Surveillance footage from 49 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 1: the neighborhood captured Petira and Mendoza discarding Prince's body on 50 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 1: the afternoon of October twenty five, twenty twenty three. Following 51 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:19,959 Speaker 1: the recovery of Prince's body, Mendoza was arrested on that afternoon, 52 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 1: Confronted with a surveillance video and the condition of the 53 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:27,919 Speaker 1: boy's remains. Mendoza ultimately confessed and said I strangled him. 54 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:31,079 Speaker 1: He also admitted to striking the boy with the golf club, 55 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 1: acknowledging that he realized the young boy, Prince, was still 56 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: alive because the five year old was foaming at the 57 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 1: mouth and crying out for help. Mendoza recounted that he 58 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 1: and Peterra took Prince outside, where he claimed to have 59 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: stomped the boy's head multiple times. He then punched and 60 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: kicked Prince until he was quote lifeless, after which both 61 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 1: men prepared to dispose of the body. Petra later acknowledged 62 00:03:56,920 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 1: his involvement in the beating of Prince, said we beat 63 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 1: him to keep him quiet. When the child continued to 64 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:08,120 Speaker 1: whimper Petira stated they dropped a thirty pound barbell on 65 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: the young boy's head. Although Prince fell silent for a time, 66 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:14,560 Speaker 1: he began to cry again, so they wrapped him in 67 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 1: the trash bags. The two assailants then took turns striking 68 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:20,280 Speaker 1: the boy in the head with the golf club while 69 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 1: one held him. Petra later found a concrete pedestal for 70 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 1: a bird bath and struck Prince's head with it twice. 71 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:30,920 Speaker 1: They say the boy never made a sound after that. 72 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:35,840 Speaker 1: During his interrogation, Mendoza claimed responsibility for three separate non 73 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:40,080 Speaker 1: fatal stabbings in the neighborhood, stating he was bored and 74 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: wanted to stab somebody badly. The three incidents were random, 75 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:47,479 Speaker 1: including one victim just sitting on the phone on the porch. 76 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:51,800 Speaker 1: Peterira received a life sentence without parole on July twenty sixth, 77 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 1: twenty twenty four. Mendoza was set to be tried as 78 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 1: an adult. His defense attorneys spent the past two years 79 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:01,359 Speaker 1: attempting to have the case dismissed or to have Mendoza 80 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 1: tried as a juvenile. After these efforts were unsuccessful, the 81 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 1: attorney sought to have Mendoza declared insane. However, he was 82 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:14,159 Speaker 1: deemed competent to stand trial and has now pleaded guilty. 83 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:23,440 Speaker 1: More Crime and Justice news after this. Police in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 84 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 1: are searching for a missing man they believe to be endangered. 85 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:30,919 Speaker 1: The Oklahoma City Police Department said Michael Schmidt, who is 86 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 1: from Michigan, was last known to be in Oklahoma City. 87 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:36,640 Speaker 1: The forty two year old is believed to be in 88 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:40,280 Speaker 1: a blue Toyota Tacoma with a Michigan tag d V 89 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 1: four two three five C. He has a white male, 90 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 1: standing five nine, weighing about two hundred and twenty pounds. 91 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 1: He has blonde hair and blue eyes. Police are asking 92 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 1: anyone with relevant information to please come forward. Police say 93 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:57,719 Speaker 1: information is limited, but they do believe the man to 94 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:00,800 Speaker 1: be in danger. If you have any information regarding the 95 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 1: disappearance of Schmidt, please call nine one one For the 96 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 1: latest crime injustice news. Follow Crime Alert hourly update on 97 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:12,120 Speaker 1: your favorite podcasting app with this crime Alert. I'm Nicole Parton.