25-year-old man, who planned to “abuse the dead body” of an 11-year-old girl he repeatedly stabbed during a sleepover at the home he broke into, was sentenced
Michigan – In a deeply disturbing case in Michigan, a 25-year-old man, identified as R. Castillo, has been sentenced to decades in prison for a brutal and entirely random home invasion that ended in the stabbing of an 11-year-old girl during a sleepover. The attacker later admitted he intended to kill the girl and then se-ually abuse her body.
Castillo was sentenced last week to 40 years in prison for his role in the horrific attack. Castillo pleaded no contest in October to assault with intent to murder, first-degree home invasion, and assault with intent to commit criminal se-ual conduct in the second degree. On Wednesday, he appeared before a judge to hear his fate. What unfolded in court made it clear—this was not only a brutal killing but a deeply calculated and grotesque crime.
The incident took place in the early hours of June 15, 2024. Castillo broke into the house just before 3 a.m., entered the kitchen, and armed himself with a knife. He then crept upstairs, where two girls were asleep—one of them, the victim, staying over as a guest of the homeowner’s daughter. He found the two of them sleeping. Then, without warning, he turned violent. Castillo attacked the 11-year-old, stabbing her repeatedly. She was left bleeding on the floor. The homeowner’s daughter was physically unharmed, but the trauma of that night would remain.
At first, police struggled to understand the motive. There was no known connection between Castillo and the victims. Authorities at the time said they believe the crime Castillo committed was a completely random act. But the investigation soon revealed something darker. Court documents later showed that Castillo had confessed to planning to “kill the young girl and then have se- with her dead body”. In interviews with detectives, he said he wanted to kill everyone in the house and had armed himself for that purpose. The details that emerged in court were horrific. Assistant Prosecuting Attorney E. Bartlett told the court, “The egregiousness with which this defendant acted is horrendous. His statements right after the crime show a complete lack of remorse.”
The victim, who somehow survived the ordeal, recalled parts of the assault and described her terror in an impact statement read aloud in court. “I remember being in a lot of pain on the floor. I remember seeing all my blood everywhere. I remember feeling warm running down my body from the blood. I remember the smell of it… I was terrified,” the statement read. The homeowner where the heinous attack took place also gave powerful testimony, describing the aftermath. “We had to move. We had to clean up just blood and mess. We’ve heard what he wanted to do to our family. This should not be taken lightly.”
Judge C. Mims echoed the outrage. “It’s disturbing that you would go into these people’s home, that you didn’t know, that you would arm yourself in their home, that you would almost kill a girl who was only trying to sleep over with her friend.” Castillo took the stand briefly during sentencing, kneeling in front of the courtroom. “I know I don’t deserve it… I was a lost person,” he said. “I ask for forgiveness for all of you, for both families, for the whole community… I’m sorry.” But for the victim and her family, no apology could undo what happened that night—a night that turned from innocent to unspeakable, simply because a stranger planned something no one could imagine.
