A man has been sentenced to life in prison after he was convicted of multiple crimes including murder in relation to the death of his six-year-old son and an older sibling who were starved and kept locked in a tiny closet. Dad Anthony Martinez has been sentenced to life in prison for the homicide of his six-year-old son, Deshaun Martinez. Along with his wife, Elizabeth Archibeque, they kept Deshaun and his older brother locked up in a tiny closet that reeked of urine and provided little food to the children which led to Deshaun’s death by starvation in 2020. Martinez has also been convicted of multiple prison sentences including child abuse and kidnapping convictions in the abuse of the deceased child and an older sibling. Additionally, he received cumulative sentences of three years in prison for two convictions of aggravated assault, which may be served concurrently or credited against time served.
READ MORE: Decomposing corpse of missing eight-month-old baby girl discovered after desperate search Deshaun weighed just 18 pounds at the time of his death, was denied food, and was locked in a 21-by-25-inch closet for 16 hours a day over a month with a “foul, awful smell of urine” and an orange-coloured piece of plastic on the floor. It was a form of punishment for stealing food in the home at night while their parents slept.
During the trial, Coconino Superior Court Judge Ted Reed described the crimes as “heinous and cruel” by a father who was in a position of “trust” to his children. It was also agreed that Martinez suffered through traumatic childhood, and had no prior felony convictions. Although Martinez declined to speak during the hearing, he was apologetic and wrote a letter to his children which was read aloud at the trial by the defence attorney. In it, he said he was sorry “for all the things I put you through.” In 2023, Elizabeth Archibeque, 29, was sentenced to life in prison without parole after she pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and child abuse of Deshaun’s death. His autopsy report confirmed that he died of starvation in March 2020.
For all the latest on news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US. Archibeque admitted and blamed herself for her son’s demise while she stood to testify in the court, and fully accepted whatever sentence she received. She told the court: “A huge part of me died along with my beautiful child. Not a day goes by that I do not grieve… I am so sorry.” Initially, the couple lied and said that the son’s malnourished state was due to a medical condition and his ingesting diet or caffeine pills. However, they eventually admitted the horrific crime and said that they kept the sons locked and starved for hours. Deshaun’s grandmother, Ann Martinez found him unresponsive, and thought he had died, so she called 911 on March 2, 2020. Two sisters were found healthy in the apartment where the family lived. Flagstaff police Detective Melissa Seay testified about her harrowing experience during the investigation, stating, “I have never seen something so horrific in all my life.” She further described Deshaun as “just bones,” his face “completely sunken in,” resembling a “skeleton.” “His bones were protruding from his back. I could see his ribs,” she added. However, his brother wasn’t in much better condition.
