Prosecutors mulling death penalty in Flagstaff boy's death
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - Prosecutors will have more time to weigh asking that the parents and grandmother of a 6-year-old Flagstaff boy who died in their care receive the death penalty.
The Arizona Daily Sun reported Sunday that a Coconino County Superior Court judge extended the deadline for a decision to mid-summer. Prosecutors say it’s been harder to get information they need because of the coronavirus.
Elizabeth Archibeque, Anthony Martinez and Ann Martinez pleaded not guilty in the case last month.
All three were arrested March 2 after Ann Martinez called 911 and said she thought her grandson was dead. They later were indicted on first-degree murder, kidnapping and child abuse charges.
Police found the boy unresponsive in a Flagstaff apartment where the family lived. The parents initially attributed the boy’s malnourished state to a medical condition and to ingesting diet or caffeine pills. Eventually, they told police they kept the boy and his 7-year-old brother in a closet for 16 hours a day over a month and gave them little to eat.
Police said the boys’ confinement was punishment for stealing food while the parents slept. According to a police report, an officer said the 6-year-old appeared to weigh less than 30 pounds (14 kilograms).