Topline: Archuleta was sentenced to 45 years after admitting he shot Mary Halcomb and staged the scene with a chilling note claiming he had the “right to euthanize” her.
Published: July 11, 2025 11:00 am ET
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Nat , left, and Mary Halcomb (via Peoria County Jail / Dignity Memorial)
PEORIA, IL — In a courtroom filled with raw grief and the echoes of shattered dreams, 19-year-old Nathaniel N. Archuleta admitted his guilt this week in the 2024 murder of his girlfriend, Mary Halcomb, a crime he meticulously staged to appear as a suicide.
The July 7, 2025, emotional plea hearing in Peoria, Illinois, concluded with Archuleta receiving a 45-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections, a term he must serve in its entirety, according to a press release from the Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office.
The second-floor courtroom was filled with Mary’s family and loved ones, their voices often choked with tears, painted a harrowing picture of their suffering since her death. They spoke of “sleepless nights, nightmares, and persistent heartbreak,” as detailed in the State’s Attorney’s press release, articulating an “overwhelming sense of loss” for “sisterly moments, shared dreams, and life milestones that will never come.” The deep wounds of “trust, fear, depression, and anxiety” were laid bare, with Archuleta’s actions condemned as “selfish and unforgivable,” and a resolute demand that “justice must now be served.”
The sequence of events began on September 6, 2024, when Peoria police responded to a report of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the 1400 block of S. Griswold in South Peoria. Officers arrived to a grim scene: Mary Halcomb found in a pool of blood on a stairwell landing, a gun in her hand, having sustained a single gunshot wound to her neck, according to the State’s Attorney’s Office.
However, the initial appearance of suicide quickly unraveled. Investigators uncovered inconsistencies, most notably a blood trail leading from a downstairs bedroom – identified as the true scene of the shooting – to the landing where Mary’s body was discovered, suggesting her body had been moved.
Further intensifying the mystery was a chilling post-it note found in the downstairs bedroom, which read, “I, Mary Elyce Halcomb, promise to never break Nathanial Archuleta’s heart, and if I do, Nathaniel Archuleta has every right to euthanize me, vice versa, I love you.”
When questioned, Archuleta’s narrative of the night’s events shifted. He initially maintained that Mary’s death was a suicide, then claimed the gun accidentally discharged while he was cleaning it. The truth, however, emerged from an unexpected source: Archuleta later confessed to a fellow inmate that he had shot Mary because he had discovered her texting another man, a detail revealed in the State’s Attorney’s press release.
Mary’s mother, Ashley Halcomb, told the Peoria Journal Star that despite their age difference, they “grew up together, in some ways,” eventually becoming “close friends.”
“We did everything together,” Ashley recounted to the Journal Star. “She told me everything – sometimes a little bit too much – but I knew she trusted me.”
Ashley described Mary as possessing a “contagious” laugh and a “heart the size of Texas,” emphasizing her boundless generosity: “She’d do anything for anyone.”
Mary was studying to become a nurse at Midwest Technical Institute.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, you are not alone. Help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788 to connect with trained advocates 24/7. Support is free, confidential, and available in over 200 languages. You can also visit thehotline.org for more information and resources.
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Teen Admits to Staging Girlfriend’s Murder as Suicide
Archuleta was sentenced to 45 years after admitting he shot Mary Halcomb and staged the scene with a chilling note claiming he had the “right to euthanize” her.
By Jacob Charles
Published: July 11, 2025 11:00 am ET
Nat , left, and Mary Halcomb (via Peoria County Jail / Dignity Memorial)
PEORIA, IL — In a courtroom filled with raw grief and the echoes of shattered dreams, 19-year-old Nathaniel N. Archuleta admitted his guilt this week in the 2024 murder of his girlfriend, Mary Halcomb, a crime he meticulously staged to appear as a suicide.
The July 7, 2025, emotional plea hearing in Peoria, Illinois, concluded with Archuleta receiving a 45-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections, a term he must serve in its entirety, according to a press release from the Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office.
The second-floor courtroom was filled with Mary’s family and loved ones, their voices often choked with tears, painted a harrowing picture of their suffering since her death. They spoke of “sleepless nights, nightmares, and persistent heartbreak,” as detailed in the State’s Attorney’s press release, articulating an “overwhelming sense of loss” for “sisterly moments, shared dreams, and life milestones that will never come.” The deep wounds of “trust, fear, depression, and anxiety” were laid bare, with Archuleta’s actions condemned as “selfish and unforgivable,” and a resolute demand that “justice must now be served.”
The sequence of events began on September 6, 2024, when Peoria police responded to a report of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the 1400 block of S. Griswold in South Peoria. Officers arrived to a grim scene: Mary Halcomb found in a pool of blood on a stairwell landing, a gun in her hand, having sustained a single gunshot wound to her neck, according to the State’s Attorney’s Office.
However, the initial appearance of suicide quickly unraveled. Investigators uncovered inconsistencies, most notably a blood trail leading from a downstairs bedroom – identified as the true scene of the shooting – to the landing where Mary’s body was discovered, suggesting her body had been moved.
Further intensifying the mystery was a chilling post-it note found in the downstairs bedroom, which read, “I, Mary Elyce Halcomb, promise to never break Nathanial Archuleta’s heart, and if I do, Nathaniel Archuleta has every right to euthanize me, vice versa, I love you.”
When questioned, Archuleta’s narrative of the night’s events shifted. He initially maintained that Mary’s death was a suicide, then claimed the gun accidentally discharged while he was cleaning it. The truth, however, emerged from an unexpected source: Archuleta later confessed to a fellow inmate that he had shot Mary because he had discovered her texting another man, a detail revealed in the State’s Attorney’s press release.
Mary’s mother, Ashley Halcomb, told the Peoria Journal Star that despite their age difference, they “grew up together, in some ways,” eventually becoming “close friends.”
“We did everything together,” Ashley recounted to the Journal Star. “She told me everything – sometimes a little bit too much – but I knew she trusted me.”
Ashley described Mary as possessing a “contagious” laugh and a “heart the size of Texas,” emphasizing her boundless generosity: “She’d do anything for anyone.”
Mary was studying to become a nurse at Midwest Technical Institute.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, you are not alone. Help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788 to connect with trained advocates 24/7. Support is free, confidential, and available in over 200 languages. You can also visit thehotline.org for more information and resources.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Teen Admits to Staging Girlfriend’s Murder as Suicide
Archuleta was sentenced to 45 years after admitting he shot Mary Halcomb and staged the scene with a chilling note claiming he had the “right to euthanize” her.
By Jacob Charles
Published: July 11, 2025 11:00 am ET
Nat , left, and Mary Halcomb (via Peoria County Jail / Dignity Memorial)
PEORIA, IL — In a courtroom filled with raw grief and the echoes of shattered dreams, 19-year-old Nathaniel N. Archuleta admitted his guilt this week in the 2024 murder of his girlfriend, Mary Halcomb, a crime he meticulously staged to appear as a suicide.
The July 7, 2025, emotional plea hearing in Peoria, Illinois, concluded with Archuleta receiving a 45-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections, a term he must serve in its entirety, according to a press release from the Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office.
The second-floor courtroom was filled with Mary’s family and loved ones, their voices often choked with tears, painted a harrowing picture of their suffering since her death. They spoke of “sleepless nights, nightmares, and persistent heartbreak,” as detailed in the State’s Attorney’s press release, articulating an “overwhelming sense of loss” for “sisterly moments, shared dreams, and life milestones that will never come.” The deep wounds of “trust, fear, depression, and anxiety” were laid bare, with Archuleta’s actions condemned as “selfish and unforgivable,” and a resolute demand that “justice must now be served.”
The sequence of events began on September 6, 2024, when Peoria police responded to a report of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the 1400 block of S. Griswold in South Peoria. Officers arrived to a grim scene: Mary Halcomb found in a pool of blood on a stairwell landing, a gun in her hand, having sustained a single gunshot wound to her neck, according to the State’s Attorney’s Office.
However, the initial appearance of suicide quickly unraveled. Investigators uncovered inconsistencies, most notably a blood trail leading from a downstairs bedroom – identified as the true scene of the shooting – to the landing where Mary’s body was discovered, suggesting her body had been moved.
Further intensifying the mystery was a chilling post-it note found in the downstairs bedroom, which read, “I, Mary Elyce Halcomb, promise to never break Nathanial Archuleta’s heart, and if I do, Nathaniel Archuleta has every right to euthanize me, vice versa, I love you.”
When questioned, Archuleta’s narrative of the night’s events shifted. He initially maintained that Mary’s death was a suicide, then claimed the gun accidentally discharged while he was cleaning it. The truth, however, emerged from an unexpected source: Archuleta later confessed to a fellow inmate that he had shot Mary because he had discovered her texting another man, a detail revealed in the State’s Attorney’s press release.
Mary’s mother, Ashley Halcomb, told the Peoria Journal Star that despite their age difference, they “grew up together, in some ways,” eventually becoming “close friends.”
“We did everything together,” Ashley recounted to the Journal Star. “She told me everything – sometimes a little bit too much – but I knew she trusted me.”
Ashley described Mary as possessing a “contagious” laugh and a “heart the size of Texas,” emphasizing her boundless generosity: “She’d do anything for anyone.”
Mary was studying to become a nurse at Midwest Technical Institute.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, you are not alone. Help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788 to connect with trained advocates 24/7. Support is free, confidential, and available in over 200 languages. You can also visit thehotline.org for more information and resources.
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