Arizona man convicted of first-degree murder in starvation death of 6-year-old son
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — A northern Arizona man was convicted in a jury trial Thursday of first-degree murder in the 2020 starvation death of his 6-year-old son.
Authorities say the boy was locked in a tiny bedroom closet for 16 hours a day over a month with his older brother as punishment for stealing his family’s food at night when their parents were asleep.
A Coconino County Superior Court jury delivered its verdict against 28-year-old Anthony Martinez in the death of his son, Deshaun Martinez. Prosecutors said an autopsy showed the boy weighed just 18 pounds (8.1 kilograms) and had died of severe starvation.
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The boys’ mother, Elizabeth Archibeque, was sentenced in July 2023 to life in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to first-degree murder and child abuse.
The Associated Press