'Worst child homicide I’ve ever had': Woman gets life for killing boy who was beaten, burned

LAS VEGAS (TCN) -- A judge sentenced a woman to life in prison in what a prosecutor called the "worst child homicide I’ve ever had" after she pleaded guilty to torturing and killing a young boy she was watching over while his mother was at a shelter.

KLAS-TV reports Crystal Stephens received the sentence Wednesday, May 8, as part of a plea deal that meant prosecutors would not seek the death penalty against her for killing Brandon "Tuku" Steckler Jr. in 2018. 

Court records show Stephens was indicted in 2019 on charges first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, 16 counts of child endangerment with substantial bodily or mental harm, seven counts of child abuse, neglect, or endangerment, and sexual assault with a minor under 14 years of age.

According to KLAS, in July 2018, Las Vegas Metro Police Department officers responded to a call about a possible child drowning at an apartment on Silverado Ranch, but when they arrived, they reportedly did not find any evidence of a drowning. Medics transported the 4-year-old boy to the hospital, where he died the next day.

The chief deputy district attorney said at the time that Steckler’s autopsy took eight hours "due to the horrific injuries to this child."

Steckler, who was autistic, reportedly was malnourished and had wounds all over his body, including fractured ribs, rat bites, burns, cuts, and rectal trauma. KLAS reports Steckler also had meth in his system, sepsis, and pneumonia.

Stephens took brief custody of Steckler and his sibling because their mother was in a domestic violence shelter.

Child Protective Services reportedly received several calls about Steckler’s condition, but they only conducted one investigation and could not substantiate the claims.

Stephens addressed Steckler’s family at her sentencing hearing and apologized for her actions, saying, "I assure you, I take full responsibility for the loss of someone so precious to you. I dedicate my life to your family and making that my priority."

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Steckler’s grandmother, Cynthia Mosley, said, "The hole his absence has left behind is as immeasurable as the love he gave so freely. That was stolen from us in the most heartbreaking and inhumane way. Her cruelty has inflicted a wound that will never fully heal."

His father, Brandon Steckler Jr., shared, "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."

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