FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — An Arizona mother has pleaded guilty to murder and child abuse charges stemming from the death of her 6-year-old son, who was locked in a closet and denied food.
Elizabeth Archibeque reached a plea deal with prosecutors this month, the Arizona Daily Sun reported Saturday.
Archibeque will be sentenced at the end of this summer. The terms of the plea agreement state that she will not be eligible for parole and, if she is sentenced to life in prison, she will not be eligible for any type of parole or work.
She was charged along with the boy’s father, Anthony Martinez, and his grandmother, Ann Martinez. The cases were tried separately.
An autopsy found that the boy, Deshaun Martinez, died of starvation in March 2020. Authorities said he weighed just 18 pounds, well below average for his age.
The boy’s parents initially attributed their son’s malnourished state to a medical condition and the ingestion of diet pills or caffeine. Eventually, they told police Deshaun and his older brother were kept in a closet for 16 hours a day and given little to eat. The brother survived.
The police said that the confinement of the children was a punishment for stealing food while the parents were sleeping.