Crystal Stephens, a 48-year-old Las Vegas woman, burst into tears while she was sentenced to life in prison. Back in 2018, Stephens brutally murdered 4-year-old Brandon Steckler Jr., an autistic boy who was found burned, bruised, malnourished, and suffering from rat bites, among other heartbreaking injuries.
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Seven years after Brandon’s death, Clark County District Judge Michelle Leavitt sentences Stephens to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Previously, Stephens had pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, and child abuse, according to court records reviewed by PEOPLE. This plea agreement took the death penalty off the table.
During her sentencing hearing, amid several of Brandon’s family’s impact statements, Stephen was seen crying. In court, she said, “I’m terribly sorry for my horrific actions.”
These “horrific actions” were discovered back on July 30, 2018. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, police found Brandon having suffered burns and bruises on his body in an East Silverado Ranch Boulevard apartment. One day later, Brandon succumbed to his injuries.
The boy, according to court documents obtained by the outlet, had suffered from broken ribs and collarbone, in addition to a lacerated liver and collapsed lungs. His body also displayed signs of having been bitten by rats. KLAS reported that Brandon also had methamphetamine in his system, suffering from malnutrition, pneumonia, and sepsis.
Authorities determined his death to be a homicide, and Crystal Stephens was arrested at the time. Reportedly, Brandon’s mother had asked Stephens to take care of Brandon and his sister while she remained in a domestic violence shelter.
Family Statements
In court, the details of the case were addressed by Chief Deputy District Attorney Christopher Hamner. While addressing Judge Leavitt, he said, “We’ve had a number of these cases before this. This might be the worst child homicide I’ve ever had.”
Brandon’s grandmother, Synthia Mosely, delivered her impact statement in court.
“I hope she feels in every moment the consequences of what she’s done because we feel them in every heartbeat,” Mosley said, as per KLAS. “The hole his absence has left behind is as immeasurable as the love he gave so freely.”
Brandon’s father, Brandon Steckler Sr., also talked lovingly about his son.
“He brought more than joy in this world; he was joy,” the father said. “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.”