Arizona Parents Get Life Imprisonment for Killing Their 6-Year-Old Son, Who Weighed 18 Pounds When He Died

A court sentenced an Arizona couple to life imprisonment for starving their children, leading to the death of one.

Anthony Jose Achibeque-Martinez and Elizabeth Archibeque-Martinez, of Flagstaff, were sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with the death of their 6-year-old son, Deshaun Martinez, the Independent reported. 

Deshaun Martinez was found dead weighing just 18 pounds in 2020, the Independent reported. Investigators determined the child's parents were starving and abusing both him and his brother. The brother was found in serious condition but survived, police said. 

Initially, the parents claimed that their sons were malnourished because of a medical condition, AZ Family reported. They claimed that the boys had ingested several diet pills.

According to police, the parents punished the boys for stealing food when they were asleep, the Independent reported. They were locked in a bedroom closet for an entire month, only allowed out for a few hours each day.

Police launched an investigation after the boys' grandmother, Ann Martinez, called 911 after she found Deshaun Martinez unresponsive, the Independent reported. Prosecutors also charged Ann Martinez in the case.

Ann Martinez pled guilty to manslaughter and attempted child abuse, AZ Family reported. 

Anthony Jose Achibeque-Martinez was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment by a judge in Coconino County, Arizona, the Independent reported.

Elizabeth Archibeque-Martinez pleaded guilty to the charges of first-degree murder and child abuse. She was sentenced in July 2023 to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

For child abuse and kidnapping, Anthony Jose Achibeque-Martinez was given another 68 years, the Independent reported. 

Two other children found in the household were not abused, the Independent reported.