An Illinois man charged in the stabbing death of his niece accepted a plea deal on Tuesday and will spend the rest of his life behind bars, WIBQ FM reported.
Justin DeRyke, 22, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for killing Willow Long, his 7-year-old niece, on Sept. 7.
His plea, which includes a life sentence without the chance of parole, was accepted by Judge Kimberly Koester in the afternoon hearing at Effingham County Circuit Court.
Two days after she was killed, Willow's body was discovered wrapped in plastic and duct tape in a pond near Watson, Ill.
During the investigation, DeRyke told investigators that Willow hurt herself after running outside of his home. He reportedly told police that he slit her throat to end her suffering.
Nearly 1,000 volunteers assisted in the search to find Willow last September. Jeana Kollman, one of the Long's neighbors, said Willow's classmates and friends were having a difficult time with her disappearance.
"I made posters, we got teddy bears, we got everything together, and we all walked down and put it down by their house. Just because all the kids are having problems with it. It's very sad, it's devastating," Kollman said.
