An Arizona mother has pleaded guilty to first degree murder and child abuse in the death of her 6-year-old son, who weighed just 18 pounds when he died in March 2020.

Elizabeth Archibeque was arrested along with Deshaun Martinez’s father, Anthony Martinez, and his grandmother, Ann Marie Martinez, as CrimeOnline reported.

Medical examiner Lawrence Czarnecki wrote that the boy was in a “non-life-sustaining state of starvation” at the time of his death, with his skin stretched over his bones and almost no body fat, giving him a skeletal appearance. His eyes, surrounded by dark circles, were sunken, and his hair was brittle, the medical examiner said.

He had been locked in a small closet in the family’s apartment for “about a month” before he died, the adults reportedly told police, according to the Arizona Daily Sun. They said they regularly locked Deshaun and his brothers in the closet to “discipline” them, denying them food.

The boy’s surviving siblings were taken int the custody of child protective services.

Archibeque will appear before a judge for sentencing later this summer. She faces life in prison on the murder charge and will not be eligible parole or work release if that’s the sentence the judge hands down. Regardless of the sentence, she won’t be eligible for probation, according to plea agreement she signed.

The Martinezes are being tried separately. A status conference was held for Anthony Martinez in march, while the grandmother has been undergoing evaluations to determine if she is competent to stand trial, court records show.

For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.

[Featured image: Elizabeth Archibeque/police handout]