A 39-year-old father in Arizona will serve more than a decade in prison for his role in the death of his 9-year-old son, whose decomposing remains were discovered on the father’s couch in a home filled with garbage, “soiled diapers,” gallon bottles full of urine, and even brown recluse and black widow spiders, according to court documents.
Pima County Superior Judge Kimberly Ortiz ordered Joseph Antonsen to serve the maximum 15-year sentence in a state correctional facility, plus an additional 20 years of probation, for his role in the boy’s death. Antonsen had previously pleaded guilty to two charges of child abuse.
During Friday’s sentencing hearing, Antonsen’s defense attorney emphasized that his client had severe and untreated mental health and substance abuse issues, but the judge said the child’s death was entirely preventable, according to Tucson NBC affiliate KVOA.
“You knew you needed help and, for whatever reason — even with the resources around you from your parents, both emotional and financial — you were not able to correct your behavior and the devastation that you were surrounding your child with,” said Ortiz, as reported by the station.
According to Law&Crime, on July 14, 2024, investigators from the Pima County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call about a deceased 9-year-old boy at Antonsen’s home in Picture Rocks, Arizona, approximately 100 miles southeast of Phoenix.
When first responders arrived at the scene, they made contact with Antonsen, who initiated the 911 call. He informed investigators that his son had “become ill” two days before.
“Joseph also stated that he was going to take him to get medically checked and on that day he went out to turn on his vehicle and then went back inside the house to put a shirt on,” according to an affidavit of probable cause. “He noticed that his son was ‘shuttering and going limp,’ he stated that after that he could not find a pulse and stated he was not breathing.”
Despite knowing that he “should have called somebody,” Antonsen admitted that when he realized his son did not have a pulse and was not breathing, he “ended up leaving the residence to an unknown location.” Antonsen stated that he left the house on July 12 and didn’t return until July 14.
Investigators who entered the home described it as deplorable.
“When deputies entered the home, they described it as cluttered and also noticed piles of garbage around and near the couch where [the victim] was located, along with lots of empty beer cans, large piles of soiled diapers, rotten foods, large amounts of one gallon bottles full of what appear to be urine, lots of insect activity, spiders like black widows and brown recluse were observed inside the home, along with spiderwebs everywhere throughout all of the walls of the home.
“It was also discovered that the home lacked running water and functioning toilets. When Deputies discovered who was sitting on the couch, they determined that he was in the process of decomposing.
Immediately following the child’s death, local CBS affiliate KOLD spoke with a neighbor who sounded shocked that the “really friendly” boy who played with her daughter died in this manner.
“His son was very cute. “He was a very friendly kid,” the woman said in an interview. “He was extremely polite. “He was much friendlier than his father.”
