Sushi M. Staples, 43, has pled guilty to endangering the health of a child resulting in death. This plea is related to the case of her 10-year-old son, Zion Williams, whose body was found in a trash can at her home. The child was discovered wearing only Spider-Man pants.
The guilty plea was entered in Rock Island County Court on Thursday. It is part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, who in return dropped charges of concealing the death of another, failure to report the death of a child, and obstruction of justice by destroying evidence.
Staples’ attorney, public defender Hany Khoury, stated that the terms of the plea agreement allow for a wide range of sentencing options. The presiding judge has the discretion to sentence Staples to anything from probation to a maximum of five years in a state correctional facility. This plea agreement opens the possibility that Staples may not serve jail time for her role in her son’s death.