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Autopsy report: 6-year-old Flagstaff boy died of starvation

Malnourished Child Dies Memorial
Posted at 6:29 PM, Jun 08, 2020
and last updated 2020-06-08 22:02:27-04

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — An autopsy report for a 6-year-old Flagstaff boy who police say was locked in a closet and deprived of food shows he died of starvation.

The boy's parents and his grandmother have been charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and child abuse in his death.

They have pleaded not guilty.

The autopsy report noted that Deshaun Martinez was in a non-life-sustaining state of starvation.

He weighed 18 pounds when he was found unresponsive in early March, well-below average for his age.

The medical examiner noted that Deshaun had a skeletal appearance with skin stretched over his bones and almost no body fat.