FLAGSTAFF (Ariz.) — A mother in Arizona has pleaded to child abuse and murder charges related to the death her 6-year old son, who was locked away and denied food.
The Arizona Daily Sun published on Saturday that Elizabeth Archibeque had reached a plea deal with prosecutors.
Archibeque’s sentence will be handed down later this summer. According to the terms of her plea agreement, she is not eligible for probation and, if she’s sentenced to a life term in prison, will be denied any parole or work release.
Ann Martinez and Anthony Martinez, the father of the boy, were also charged. Separate trials were held for the two cases.
A March 2020 autopsy revealed that the boy, Deshaun Martin, had died from starvation. Authorities said that he was only 18 pounds, which is well below the average weight for his age.
The boy’s mother initially blamed his malnutrition on a medical condition, and ingesting caffeine or diet pills. They eventually told the police that they had kept Deshaun, his brother and their older sister in a small closet for 16 hour a day. The brother survived.
The police said that the boys were being held in confinement because they had stolen food from their parents while they slept.
