Mom pleads guilty to strangling special-needs son and leaving his body in the desert

LAS VEGAS (TCD) -- A 36-year-old woman agreed to plead guilty to killing her young son and leaving his body in the Nevada desert.

Clark County court records show Samantha Moreno-Rodriguez entered the plea agreement Sept. 1. KLAS-TV reports she will serve at least 28 years in prison for murder, child abuse, and neglect or endangerment resulting in substantial bodily harm.

Moreno-Rodriguez will reportedly be eligible for parole after 20 years.

On June 5, 2021, the FBI and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said they were seeking information about John "Little Zion" Doe, whose body was found in Mountain Springs, Nevada, on May 28. The FBI's Las Vegas bureau identified "Little Zion" as 7-year-old Liam Husted from San Jose, California.

On June 8, one day after identifying Husted, Las Vegas Police announced Moreno-Rodriguez was arrested in Denver.

Moreno-Rodriguez and Husted reportedly left California on May 24. She allegedly left her son's father a message saying, "I'm sorry. I had to do this."

She reportedly confessed to strangling the little boy, who was autistic, stripping him of his clothes, and leaving his body. According to KLAS, Husted reportedly suffered several injuries, and his body was found near some bushes off of a dirt road.

MORE:

• State of Nevada vs Samantha Moreno-Rodriguez
• Mom who killed 7-year-old son on hike outside Las Vegas accepts plea deal - KLAS
• Prosecutor: California mother admitted strangling special-needs son found dead in Nevada desert, 7/2/2021 - TCD
• California woman arrested after special-needs son’s body found in remote Nevada area, 6/8/2021 - TCD
• Seeking Information, 6/5/2021 - FBI
• "Little Zion" Doe has been identified, 6/7/2021 - FBI Las Vegas
• Arrested, 6/8/2021 - Las Vegas Metro Police Department
• Liam Husted’s body found naked with 'multiple injuries,' police say, 6/15/2021 - KLAS