The man charged with killing his girlfriend's toddler in Oil City and hiding the body in a canvas bag will now spend the rest of his life behind bars.

A Venango County judge sentenced Trevaughn Stribling-Jackson, 25, to life in prison on Monday, March 31, for first-degree murder. He also pleaded guilty to other criminal counts, including aggravated assault, concealment of the whereabouts of a child, and abuse of a corpse.

In December 2023, the mother reported her two-year-old child was missing. At the time, she told police she last saw the child, who was left in the care of Stribling-Jackson, before she left for work. He told her the child had been given to his cousin in the Erie area but would not provide a name or contact information, investigators said.

She also told investigators she noticed Stribling-Jackson doing laundry, which he never did, and that a canvas air mattress bag was missing, according to the criminal complaint. She also reported seeing what she thought was blood on the box spring under the air mattress.

Police obtained a search warrant for their residence in the 600 block of North Street and found the child inside the missing canvas air mattress bag under a makeshift table, the complaint said.

Investigators said the child had injuries on his head and face, as well as a suspected burn to the inner groin area.