Crime & Safety
Palatine Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Killing of 14-Year-Old Girl
"It hurts how her body was disposed of, like a soda can on the highway," said Wisconsin judge who handed out the maxium penalty in the case.
A Wisconsin judge handed down the maximum 40-year prison sentence Friday to the Palatine man convicted in the killing of a 14-year-old girl 20 years ago, the Daily Herald reports.
James P. Eaton, 39, pleaded no contest to reckless homicide last October in the death of Amber Creek, whose partially clothed body was found February of 1997 in a southeastern Wisconsin nature preserve after she had been missing for about a month. Eaton originally was charged with first-degree murder in the case in 2014 after fingerprints and other DNA evidence matched those found on a plastic bag from the crime scene.
Because of the crime's brutality and the condition of Amber's body — cuts on her face, bite marks on her face and a plastic bag over her head — Racine County Judge Eugene Gasiorkiewicz said the maximum penalty was deserved, the Herald reports.
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"It hurts how her body was disposed of, like a soda can on the highway," he said.
More Patch Coverage:
Find out what's happening in Chicagofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- Palatine Man Charged in 1997 Murder of 14-Year-Old Palatine Girl
- Man Charged in 1997 Murder of Palatine Girl; Discarded Cigarette Leads to Arrest
- Palatine Man Pleads No Contest to Lesser Charge in 1997 Killing of Teen
Four of Amber's relatives spoke at the sentencing, explaining how painful Amber's death had been on them, the Herald reports. Eaton's sister and his lawyer also spoke Friday, imploring the judge to show mercy with his punishment, the report added.
Speaking for the first time since his arrest in April of 2014, Eaton apologized and asked that his self-improvement since being charged be taken into account, according to the report.
"All I can say is how sorry I am for what happened," he said Friday.
Not an admission guilt in Amber's death, Eaton's reckless homicide plea meant he wouldn't fight the charges based on the prosecution's evidence, the report added. Prosecutors said they made the plea deal because they didn't feel confident that a jury would find Amber's death was caused by an intentional criminal act.
James P. Eaton from October of 2014 (photo via Patch archive)
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