Arizona mother pleads guilty to murder and child abuse after her 6-year-old son died of starvation

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 deprived of food.

Elizabeth Archibeque reached a plea deal with prosecutors this month, the Arizona Daily Sun reported Saturday.

Archibeque will be sentenced later this summer. The terms of the plea deal state that she will not be eligible for probation, and if she is sentenced to life in prison, she will not be eligible for any sort of parole or work release.

She was charged along with the boy’s father, Anthony Martinez, and his grandmother, Ann Martinez. The cases were tried separately.

An autopsy revealed the boy, Deshaun Martinez, died of starvation in March 2020. Authorities had 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 they kept Deshaun and his older brother in a closet for 16 hours a day and gave them little to eat. The brother survived.

Police said the boys’ confinement was punishment for stealing food while the parents slept.