A Peoria man accused of murdering his girlfriend pleaded guilty Monday, and as part of a plea agreement, was sentenced to 45 years in prison.
Nathaniel Archuleta, 19, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the 2024 death of his girlfriend, Mary Halcomb. Peoria County State’s Attorney Jodi Hoos said Archuleta staged the death to make it appear that Halcomb died by suicide.
According to the state’s attorney’s office, a plea agreement negotiated with Halcomb’s family, means Archuleta will spend 45 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. He must serve 100% of the sentence.
Hoos described the plea hearing as “emotional” and said multiple family members and loved ones of Halcomb’s described the effect her loss has had on them.
“They spoke of sleepless nights, nightmares and persistent heartbreak. They described their overwhelming sense of loss, loss of sisterly moments, shared dreams and life milestones that will never come,” said Hoos in an emailed statement. “Mary’s loved ones described struggling with trust, fear, depression and anxiety. They called Archuleta’s actions selfish and unforgivable, stating that blood will forever be on his hands and that justice must now be served.”
Officials say Peoria Police responded to a report of a woman with a gunshot wound to her neck in the 1400 block of South Griswold in South Peoria on Sept. 6, 2024. Officers found Halcomb with a gun in her hand. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
During the investigation, officers said there was evidence inconsistent with a death by suicide, noting Archuleta gave conflicting accounts of what happened when questioned. Officials said Archuleta later admitted to an inmate that he killed Halcomb because he “caught her texting another man.”
Archuleta had no prior criminal history.
