During his trial, prosecutors argued that Creato killed Brendan to prevent his girlfriend, who had demanded she be Creato's top priority, from leaving him. As evidence they presented numerous text messages and other communications between Creato and Julie Stensky, who often expressed displeasure at Brendan's role in Creato's life. At one point, Stensky, who had left for college in New York, wrote online that the child was "a mistake" who would anchor Creato to New Jersey forever.