MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, First Assistant Prosecutor Maggie Calderwood, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and East Hanover Chief of Police Christopher F. Cannizzo confirmed the sentencing of Edwin Urbina, 29, and Krystal Straw, 29, in connection with the beating death of Straw’s three-year-old son.
On January 12, 2023, Straw appeared before the Honorable Stephen J. Taylor, P.J. Cr. and entered an open plea of guilty to two counts of second-degree Endangering Welfare of a Child, three counts of third-degree Hindering Apprehension, third-degree Tampering with a Witness, and fourth-degree Tampering with Physical Evidence.
On March 1, 2023, a jury returned a guilty verdict for Urbina following a seven-day trial. The defendant was found guilty of first-degree Murder with an Aggravating Factor, three counts of second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child, third-degree Hindering Apprehension or Prosecution, two counts of third-degree Tampering with a Witness, and fourth-degree Tampering with Evidence.
On March 16, 2023, Judge Taylor imposed sentences for both defendants during separate court proceedings. Urbina was sentenced to an aggregate sentence of Life imprisonment without eligibility for parole plus 20 years subject to 10 years of parole ineligibility. The sentence shall be served in a maximum security prison. Straw was sentenced to an aggregate sentence of 18 years imprisonment subject to five years parole ineligibility.
Prosecutor Carroll said, “These sentencings bring to a close this terrible and tragic crime. Justice has finally been done for little 3-year-old Liam.”
Prosecutor Carroll would like to thank and acknowledge the agencies that participated in the investigation that led to the successful prosecution, including the exhaustive efforts of the East Hanover Police Department, the Morristown Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Morris County Medical Examiner’s Office, and various Units in the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office in working together to investigate this incident leading to the guilty verdict. The Prosecutor would also like to, especially thank Assistant Prosecutor Tara Wang and Senior Assistant Prosecutor Kelly Sandler, who tried this case in court, and MCPO Detective Matthew Belcastro and East Hanover Det. Lt. Andrew Underwood for their outstanding efforts in the prosecution of this case.
