Eliot Jackson, who was 17 at the time of a 2024 shooting that left a Maricopa teen dead, has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder under a plea agreement that calls for a decades-long prison sentence.

Jackson entered the plea Dec. 19 in Pinal County Superior Court, where Judge Jason Holmberg accepted the agreement. Sentencing is set for next month, when family members are expected to address the court.

Under the plea agreement, Jackson pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder, a Class 1 felony, for the shooting death of 16-year-old Esteban Valenzuela on Nov. 22, 2024, in the Maricopa Meadows. 

Prosecutors and defense attorneys stipulated that Jackson will be sentenced to 25 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections, with no eligibility for early release through probation.

The agreement also lists several aggravating factors, including the presence of an accomplice, emotional harm suffered by the victim’s family and the age of the victim. Additional charges in the case will be dismissed as part of the plea deal.

Jackson remains held without bond pending sentencing, court records show. 

This is the second plea agreement in the teen killing. That accomplice, Isaiah Bandin, was also sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role. He was 15 at the time of the murder. At Bandin’s November 2025 sentencing, Valenzuela’s family described the perpetual grief of losing their teenage family member. 

Valenzuela’s cousin, who identified herself in court as Jasmine, said the killing shattered the sense of belonging and safety their family once felt.

“He was such a loving, caring person,” she said. “[Esteban] could’ve been something bigger, but instead we’re here.”

She told the court that their family has struggled daily with the aftermath of the homicide.

“I hope [Bandin] reflects on everything that he’s done, because our family does not deserve to go through this.”

Jackson’s plea agreement comes just a month after Pinal County Attorney Brad Miller reflected on the case. 

“That’s a vape dealer. Think about that,” Miller told InMaricopa, marveling about how little someone died for. 

In that same interview, Miller said he was hesitant to accept murder plea deals, like the ones now offered to Bandin and Jackson. 

“In some juvenile involved homicides, depending on the facts, we probably won’t offer a plea because some of these people need to be locked up for life,” said Miller. 

Jackson was one of four juveniles originally charged in connection with Valenzuela’s killing. Prosecutors said Jackson and Bandin were involved in a planned armed robbery that ended with Valenzuela being shot while sitting in a car near Dirk Street and Dancer Lane.

During Bandin’s sentencing, no other details of the shooting were shared in open court. 

Police responding to the scene the night of the shooting found a group of teenagers fleeing the area, according to earlier statements from the Maricopa Police Department. Investigators later determined the teens had planned to rob another 16-year-old, identified in court as weed dealer Sergio Michael Munoz.

When the robbery did not go as planned, Valenzuela was shot and killed.

Two additional juveniles, a 16-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl, were also charged in connection with the killing. Their identities and charges remain sealed unless prosecutors seek to try them as adults.

Prosecutors have said the case reflects a broader concern about teen violence in Pinal County.

“Teen violence is out of hand and will not be tolerated,” Miller said in response to the charges.

Jackson will be sentenced at 9 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 2.