Crystal Stephens is a killer from Las Vegas Nevada who would plead guilty to the murder of four year old Brandon Steckler Jr.
According to court documents Brandon Steckler Jr. was found badly bruised and burned. The little boy would be rushed to the hospital where he would pass away from his injuries
An autopsy of the child would find 27 rib fractures, methamphetamine in his system, and suffered from malnutrition, sepsis and pneumonia as well as a lacerated liver, a collapsed lung, a broken collarbone and potential rat bites.
Officers would arrest Crystal Stephens who would tell officers she was caring for the boy and his sister. Stephens would be arrested and charged with kidnapping and murder. Prosecutors were going to seek the death penalty in this horrific case however Stephens would plead guilty and would be sentenced to life in prison without parole
According to sources the child welfare system in Nevada was called five times regarding the treatment of children in Stephens care however they investigated once and deemed the children were safe
Crystal Stephens Case
A Las Vegas woman will spend the rest of her life in prison after torturing and killing a 4-year-old boy with autism.
In court Wednesday, Clark County District Court Judge Michelle Leavitt sentenced Crystal Stephens, 48, to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In February, Stephens took a plea deal on charges of first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping resulting in substantial bodily harm, and child abuse. As part of the deal, she would no longer face the death penalty.
“This might be the worst child homicide I’ve ever had,” prosecutor Chris Hamner said Wednesday.
Crystal Stephens killed Brandon Steckler Jr. in 2018. Brandon, who loved ones called “Tuku,” had numerous bruises and burns to his body, and 27 rib fractures at the time of his death, according to Clark County prosecutors. The child also suffered from malnutrition, sepsis, pneumonia, and had methamphetamine in his system.
“I hope she feels in every moment the consequences of what she’s done because we feel them in every heartbeat,” Brandon’s grandmother, Synthia Mosley, told the court. “The hole his absence has left behind is as immeasurable as the love he gave so freely.”
Brandon’s father, Brandon Steckler Sr., said his son embodied pure happiness.
“He brought more than joy in this world; he was joy,” he said.
“I assure you, I take full responsibility for the loss of someone so precious to you,” Stephens told Brandon’s family in court. “I dedicate my life to your family and making that my priority.”
Brandon’s mother lived at a shelter and had asked Stephens to care for her son. Three weeks later, Stephens killed Brandon.
“I’m terribly sorry for my horrific actions,” Crystal Stephens said, crying as Leavitt sentenced her.
Investigators found drug residue and paraphernalia in the Stephens home after her arrest, documents said. Stephens called police, telling them Brandon had drowned.
The 8 News Now Investigators previously learned there were warning signs about both Brandon’s well-being and Stephens’. According to a state child welfare report, Child Protective Services was contacted five times about Steckler and/or his family. The report stated CPS investigated once and found the allegations to be unsubstantiated.
Crystal Stephens has remained in custody at the Clark County Detention Center since her arrest in 2018.
While Nevada has the death penalty, the state has not put a person to death since 2006.
Crystal Stephens News
A Las Vegas woman who earlier this year pleaded guilty to the 2018 murder of a 4-year-old boy with autism has now been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Crystal Stephens, 48, was sentenced in Clark County District Court on Wednesday, May 7, according to both CBS affiliate KLAS and the Las Vegas Review Journal.
Clark County District Court Judge Michelle Leavitt sentenced Stephens less months after she took a plea deal in exchange for no longer facing the death penalty in connection with the murder of 4-year-old Brandon Steckler Jr., per KLAS.
As part of the deal, Crystal Stephens pleaded guilty to charges of first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping resulting in substantial bodily harm and child abuse, according to court records viewed by PEOPLE.
“We’ve had a number of these cases before this,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Christopher Hamner told the judge, per the Journal. “This might be the worst child homicide I’ve ever had.”
Per KLAS, Stephens cried during her sentencing and told the court she was “terribly sorry” for her “horrific” actions.
The boy was first discovered by authorities burned and bruised on July, 30, 2018, according to the Journal, before he died in the hospital the following day.
Citing court documents, the outlet reports that Steckler’s death was ruled a homicide and that he was found with broken ribs, a lacerated liver, a collapsed lung, a broken collarbone and potential rat bites.
Steckler had 27 rib fractures, methamphetamine in his system, and suffered from malnutrition, sepsis and pneumonia at the time of his death, KLAS reported, citing prosecutors.
According to arrest records cited by the Journal, Crystal Stephens initially told authorities she was caring for the boy and his sister.
Drug residue and paraphernalia were later found in the home of Stephens, who had called police to report that the boy had drowned, according to KLAS.
Before the boy’s death, Child Protective Services had been contacted five times regarding concerns about the boy and his family. The agency investigated once but found the claims to be unsubstantiated, according to a state child welfare report cited by the outlet.
Crystal Stephens was first arrested on July 30, 2018 and remains in custody, per the Clark County Detention Center’s website. She told the judge during her sentencing Wednesday that she takes full responsibility for her actions, but did not explain why she abused the child, according to the Journal.
Anna Clark, her public defender, added that Stephens knows there is no justification for her actions, the outlet reported.
Court documents obtained by the Journal indicate Steckler was nonverbal with autism. His father, Brandon Steckler Sr., is now remembering him as someone who brought joy, as he recalled referring to him by the nicknames “Tuku” (“too cool”) and “happy feet.”
“I will say his story long after he’s dead and gone, because that is my boy, and he will always be in my heart,” the father said, per the Journal.
The boy’s grandmother, Synthia Mosley, told the court she hopes Stephens “feels in every moment the consequences of what she’s done because we feel them in every heartbeat.”
“The hole his absence has left behind is as immeasurable as the love he gave so freely,” Mosley said
https://people.com/killer-breaks-down-crying-for-horrific-murder-of-boy-with-autism-11732191