Jury trial starts Monday for Milwaukee teen charged in 5-year-old Prince McCree’s death

Case returning to court more than two years after child was reported missing

A jury trial is scheduled to begin Monday in Milwaukee County Circuit Court for a Milwaukee teenager charged as an adult in connection with the 2023 death of 5-year-old Prince McCree. The defendant, Erik Mendoza, is now 18.

Prince was reported missing on Oct. 25, 2023. He was found dead the next day inside a dumpster near North 55th Street and West Vliet Street, authorities have said in court filings and public statements. The case drew statewide attention after an Amber Alert was requested but not issued under the criteria in place at the time.

One co-defendant already sentenced to life without parole

Mendoza was one of two people charged in Prince’s death. The other defendant, David Pietura, pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide in June 2024. In July 2024, a Milwaukee County judge sentenced Pietura to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Prosecutors have alleged Prince was beaten to death inside a residence and that his body was later placed in a dumpster. Court proceedings involving Pietura included a plea agreement in which additional counts were dismissed as part of the guilty plea.

Charges and trial posture

Mendoza is facing felony charges tied to Prince’s death and is set to be tried in adult court. A trial is the stage at which jurors evaluate evidence presented by prosecutors and defense attorneys, including testimony, exhibits and any relevant statements that are admitted under court rules.

As the trial begins, Mendoza is presumed innocent. Prosecutors must prove each element of the charged offenses beyond a reasonable doubt for a conviction.

Policy changes followed the case: what the Prince Act does

Prince’s disappearance and death helped drive legislative changes to Wisconsin’s public alert system. In April 2024, Gov. Tony Evers signed the “Prince Act,” which stands for Protection and Recovery Involving Non-Located Children Endangered.

The law expanded when statewide alerts can be issued in missing-child cases that do not meet Amber Alert requirements, particularly for children under age 10 and certain other situations where immediate public notification may help locate a child even when specific suspect information is not available.

• Prince McCree was reported missing Oct. 25, 2023 and found dead Oct. 26, 2023.
• David Pietura pleaded guilty in June 2024 and was sentenced in July 2024 to life without parole.
• The Prince Act was signed into law in April 2024, changing criteria for missing-child alerts.

Monday’s trial will focus on the evidence tied to Mendoza’s alleged role in the child’s death, with jurors tasked with determining whether prosecutors meet the legal burden required for conviction.

The court is expected to provide additional scheduling details as jury selection and testimony begin.