A DeKalb County judge deliberated for about 30 minutes yesterday morning before he sentenced a former Sycamore man to life in prison for the murder of a 7-year old girl 55 years ago.
Judge James Hallock also found 73-year old Jack McCullough of Seattle, Washington guilty on September 15th in the murder, kidnapping, and abduction of Maria Ridolph of Sycamore.
Prosecutors say that McCullough had kidnapped and killed the girl in 1957. The child's body was found 5 months later in rural Jo Daviess County.
McCullough faced between 14 years and life in the Department of Corrections. The state had asked for life in prison while McCullough's attorney requested 14 years.
McCullough was sentenced to 5 years for the kidnapping and 7 years for abduction. They will run concurrent with the life sentence involving the murder of the girl.
McCullough is expected to appeal the conviction and sentence in the near future.
