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Life sentence upheld in murder and decapitation

The judge called the crime "savage butchery."

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - A Kent County judge has upheld the life sentence for Federico Cruz, who was 16 years old when he killed and decapitated a teen near Sparta in April of 1996.

The judge today called the murder of 17-year-old David Crawford "savage butchery."

Kent County Circuit Court Judge Dennis Leiber said the mandatory life sentence he imposed decades ago is still warranted, given the nature of the crime.

Outside of court, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said he was pleased with Leiber's decision.

Becker said the circumstances of the murder and Cruz' troubled background warrant life in prison.

The U.S. Supreme Court in 2012 struck down mandatory life sentences for juveniles. It said life sentences are still an option, but only under the rarest of circumstances.

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