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Illinois couple who starved child to death sentenced to decades in prison

Georgena and Michael Roberts pleaded guilty. Their 6-year-old son weighed just 17 pounds when he died.

JERSEYVILLE, Ill. — An Illinois father and stepmother will spend decades in prison after pleading guilty to murder in the starvation death of their 6-year-old son, who authorities said weighed just 17 pounds when he died.

Michael L. Roberts was sentenced to 25 years in prison and Georgena L. Roberts was sentenced to 20 years.

The 43-year-olds both pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in November. Two counts of endangering the life and health of a child were dropped. Both could have faced up to 60 years in prison.

Authorities have said the couple starved the boy as a form of punishment and withheld food and nourishment on a regular basis. When he died, the boy weighed about a third of what a typical 6-year-old weighs. Preliminary autopsy findings indicated the death was extreme malnourishment.

The Jersey County State's Attorney and the Jerseyville Police Department released a joint press release Wednesday:

We’re all glad to see the conclusion of this case. It has been a tireless, disheartening process for both the family as well as those involved in the investigation and prosecution. The two solely responsible for the death of this beautiful child will now spend the better part of their adult lives in prison, where they belong.

While we’ll never forget Liam, we hope the family and the community can now begin to heal from the trauma of this horrific crime. We have to remember that by the actions of these two individuals, Liam’s siblings lost not only a brother, but two parents that won’t be there to see them grow. We wish those kids the very best as they try and move forward with their lives.

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