Judge James Hallock also found him guilty Sept. 15 for the murder, kidnapping and abduction of 7-year-old Maria Ridulph in 1957 in one of the oldest unsolved crimes in American history to go to trial. McCullough faced between 14 years in prison and life, with prosecutors asking Hallock to sentence him to life in prison and defense attorneys requesting 14 years. McCullough was also sentenced five years for kidnapping and seven years for abduction, but those will be merged into the life sentence.

Ridulph was last seen Dec. 3, 1957, near her home at the corner of Center Cross Street and Archie Place. Her remains were found five months later in a wooded area in rural Jo Daviess County. During the trial, a forensic anthropologist testified that marks on bones of her throat and chest areas looked to be those left by a knife.