A dad has been sentenced to life in prison after he was , related to the death of his six-year-old son who was starved and locked in a tiny closet. has received a life sentence for the murder of his six-year-old son, Deshaun Martinez. Along with his wife, Elizabeth Archibeque, they t that reeked of urine and provided them with minimal food, leading to Deshaun's starvation death 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. In addition, he was given cumulative sentences of three years in prison for two convictions of aggravated assault, which may be served concurrently or credited against time served. At the time of his death, Deshaun weighed a mere 18 pounds, was deprived of 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-colored piece of plastic on the floor.
This was a form of punishment for stealing food from the home at night while their parents were asleep. Judge Ted Reed of Coconino Superior Court classified the crimes committed as "heinous and cruel". The Judge also highlighted that Martinez, the father, occupied a position of "trust" in relation to his children, reports .
It was noted that despite having a traumatic upbringing himself, Martinez had not previously been convicted of any felonies. Although Martinez chose to remain silent throughout the proceeding.