Eaton pleads no contest to the beating, sexual assault, and reckless murder of Amber Creek when the case finally went to trial. His no contest plea was given in exchange for the prosecutors dropping the charge of hiding a corpse. As a result, he was found guilty and given the maximum sentence of 40 years in prison by the judge, though many questioned why.

Eaton’s sister, Melissa, read a statement in court prior to his sentencing and described her brother as a changed man, one who feels deeply remorseful for the pain and suffering he put everyone through. “I don’t know how, or if, my brother, was involved in Amber’s untimely death, but I do know that Jim is no longer that lost, angry teen he was at that time,” Melissa said. However, this wasn’t enough for Racine County Judge Eugene Gasiorkiewicz.