A Sunday school teacher who pleaded guilty to kidnapping and murdering a neighbor girl in Northern California is headed to prison for the rest of her life. A judge sentenced 29-year-old Melissa Huckaby to life without parole Monday as part of a plea deal that took the death penalty off the table.
Huckaby entered her surprise plea last month to first-degree murder with the special circumstance of kidnapping in the death of Sandra Cantu of Tracy, whose body was found in a suitcase pulled from an irrigation pond.
All other charges, including allegations that she sexually abused the 8-year-old girl, were dropped.
Authorities have not released a possible motive for Huckaby.
