Mom of boy found in Denver storage unit pleads to abuse

A Colorado woman has pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in the death of her 7-year-old son, whose body was discovered in a Denver storage unit.

The plea agreement approved by a Denver judge on Thursday also requires Elisha Pankey to cooperate with prosecutors who have charged her husband, Leland Pankey, with murder in the child’s death.

The agreement recommends that she spend between 16 and 32 years in prison. Officials said Elisha Pankey will not be sentenced until the conclusion of Leland Pankey’s case.

Court records say Leland Pankey is represented by attorneys from the Colorado State Public Defender’s Office, which does not comment on ongoing cases. Elisha Pankey’s attorney declined to comment.

Investigators have said Caden McWilliams died in mid-July but his body was not discovered until December.