ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — The woman who hid the body of her 10-year-old son in a garbage can in Rock Island has pled guilty to endangering the life or health of a child in a Rock Island County courtroom Thursday morning.
On Jan. 4, Sushi Staples, represented by Rock Island County public defender Hany Khoury, and Rock Island County State's Attorney Dora Villarreal agreed to a partially negotiated plea.
She pled guilty to the charge, a class 3 felony. The partial negotiation reduces the potential penalty to 2-5 years in prison, versus the 2-10 years the charge normally carries. She will be eligible for parole afterward.
The three charges dropped included obstruction of justice, failure to report the death of a child and concealment of a death.
Staples' sentencing is set for Feb. 16 at 1 p.m. at the Rock Island County Justice Center.
Case background:
On Wednesday, July 26, 2023, around 9:30 a.m., Rock Island Police began an investigation into a suspicious death in the 1700 block of 20 1/2 Avenue.
Rock Island County Coroner Brian Gustafson confirmed the victim was identified as Zion Staples, a 10-year-old boy from Rock Island.
News 8 spoke with a neighbor back in July, who couldn't believe this happened across the street from her.
"I've lost sleep over it and I've prayed a lot," the neighbor who wished to go by Deb only said. "I have to believe that she has done some extra measures to cover up that smell, otherwise nobody could have stood that, nobody."
An autopsy was performed on Friday, July 28, in Rockford. According to Gustafson, the preliminary results showed the death was "considered suspicious and not natural."
An autopsy revealed that the boy died from a gunshot wound, likely in December 2022. The body was discovered on July 26, 2023.
On July 26, Sushi M. Staples, then 37, was taken into custody and charged with concealment of a death, obstruction of justice and failure to report the death of a child.