A MAN has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after he left his dead son’s body to rot for two days in his filthy mobile home.
Theodore Antonsen, 9, was found decomposing on a couch surrounded by dirty diapers and jugs filled with what appeared to be urine, police said.
The boy’s father, Joseph Gregory Antonsen, didn’t call for help when Theodore’s heart stopped in July 2024.
Instead, he left his son alone in the Arizona heat for two days.
When cops were called to his house on July 14, Antonsen told officers his son had previously been sick.
According to investigators, he stated his intention to seek medical assistance for Theodore when he observed the child was unresponsive and not breathing after experiencing illness and tremors.
The dad, 39, claimed he looked for a pulse on the boy and didn’t find one — but then he just left, police records said.
He told cops he knew he should have called the authorities, but he couldn’t give a reason as to why he didn’t.
When Antonsen returned two days later, he then called cops to the house in Picture Rocks, Arizona, about 30 miles east of Tucson.
When officers arrived, they discovered the interior of the home was stiflingly hot, with temperatures ranging from 103 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit and lacking air conditioning, as reported by CBS affiliate KOLD-TV.
Theodore’s body was sitting up on the couch, which was surrounded by trash, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Office.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office reported encountering “empty beer cans, large heaps of soiled diapers, decaying food, bottles seemingly filled with urine, numerous insects, and spiders (including black widow and brown recluse).”
The home was full of spiderwebs and also had no running water or working toilets, police said.
According to the autopsy report, there was no evidence that sickness or injury contributed to Theodore’s death.
However, the medical examiner noted that it was hard to determine the cause of death because the boy’s body was left alone for so long.
There were signs of decomposition and insect activity on Theodore’s body.
Timeline of the case
July 12, 2024 – Theodore Antonsen, 9, gets sick and dies and his father, Joseph Antonsen, leaves him at home.
July 14, 2024 – Joseph returns to the home and police are called to the house, where they find Theodore’s decomposing body sitting on the couch.
July 25, 2024 – Joseph is indicted by a Pima County Grand Jury for two counts of child abuse and manslaughter.
September 4, 2024 – Theodore’s death is determined to be a result of abuse or neglect.
May 2025 – Joseph changes his plea to guilty on two amended counts of child abuse.
July 25, 2025 – Joseph is sentenced to a maximum of 15 years behind bars, followed by 20 years of probation.
Source: Pima County Sheriff’s Office
Officials said the high temperatures didn’t contribute to his death.
Antonsen pleaded guilty to two counts of child abuse, including a count where he knew the abuse might cause death.
In court, officials revealed Antonsen suffered from addiction as well as untreated mental health issues, according to NBC affiliate KVOA.
He was sentenced to a maximum of 15 years behind bars, followed by 20 years of probation.
Judge Kimberly Ortiz told Antonsen that his worst punishment was knowing that he played a role in his son’s death.
Ortiz remarked, “Despite knowing he required help, and having access to the financial and emotional support from your parents, you were unable to change your actions or the destructive environment you subjected your child to.”
It’s unclear what Antonsen was doing in the two days he left his son’s dead body at home.
PCSO didn’t immediately return The U.S. Sun’s request for comment.
