Copyright Shaw Local Enewspapers
Sarah Safranek sobbed softly as she pleaded guilty Wednesday, Nov. 12, to suffocating her 7-year-old son, Nathaniel Burton, in their Oregon home in February 2021. Safranek, 38, admitted to Judge Anthony Peska that she was responsible for the death of Nathaniel, pleading guilty to first-degree murder. She was then sentenced to 35 years in prison. She was charged with five counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated battery after being arrested April 21, 2021 and indicted May 4, 2021. She pleaded not guilty May 6, 2021 and had numerous court hearings as she remained in custody in the Ogle County Jail as her case proceeded through the court system. On Wednesday, she pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree murder and the other counts were dismissed. “As to this count today how do you want to plead?,” asked Peska. “Guilty,” Safranek replied through tears as she sat next to her attorney, Ogle County Public Defender Kathleen Isley. At the start of Wednesday’s afternoon hearing, Isley requested a 402 conference - a pre-trial meeting between the judge and attorneys to discuss a potential resolution to a criminal case. “Is it your desire for me to participate in this conference,” Peska asked Safranek, to which she replied “yes”. When the hearing reconvened, Isley told Peska she believed a proposed plea had been reached in which Safranek would plead guilty to one count and in return be sentenced to 35 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections with credit for 1,666 days already served. Isley asked the court to request mental health treatment be provided to Safranek as she serves her sentence in prison. “Do you want to accept [those terms]?” asked Peska. “Yeah,” Safranek replied while choking back tears. Peska said Safranek would have to serve 100% of the sentence. He said he could ask for – but not guarantee – mental health treatment or services while she is incarcerated. “I can’t order the IDOC to do that,” Peska told Safranek. “But I have no problem signing that order.” Peska asked Safranek it she wanted to say anything else before the hearing ended. “No,” she said softly while shaking her head. “I think this is an appropriate sentence,” Peska said. “You are very emotional right now. There is no greater gift than having a child and having that taken away is the greatest hurt. Living with this is going to be a very large burden for you to bear.” Ogle County Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew Leisten said Nathaniel’s father and grandmother had been informed of the plea agreement prior to Wednesday’s hearing. After the hearing, Ogle County State’s Attorney Mike Rock said Safranek would not be eligible for release until 2056. “Based on the the defendant’s acceptance of responsibility and in consideration of prior court rulings we felt this was the best way,” Rock said. “This term of imprisonment shall be served at 100 percent and is followed by three years of mandatory supervised release.” During a 2024 hearing, former Judge John Redington agreed to allow as evidence an Aug. 5, 2020, online search titled “I’ve had thoughts about killing my kid. Thoughts of killing my children – anyone else have them?”. Prosecutors argued that Safranek made those searches in addition to another, made Nov. 1, 2020, that asked “What is it called when a parent is obsessed with the thought of killing their child”. Redington also allowed Feb. 17, 2021, searches of: “How much does cremation of a child cost?” and “How long does an investigation take after a child passes away”. But he reserved ruling on some of the other motions made by both the prosecution and defense. During a June 17, 2024 hearing, four prosecution witnesses testified that Nathaniel, before his death, told them that he was being abused by his mother. Defense attorneys countered that the statements were hearsay and should not be allowed as evidence. Safanek’s jury trial was removed from the court calendar in July 2024 after prosecutors argued that some rulings made by Redington limited the evidence they wanted to present to jurors. They argued that the court’s decision had “impaired” their ability to proceed with first-degree murder charges. Rock filed an appeal July 10, 2024, nine days after Redington ruled on several motions in limine filed by the defense and prosecutors. Motions in limine determine whether certain evidence may be presented to the jury. They are commonly entered and argued before a trial begins, allowing evidentiary questions to be decided by the judge. Motions in limine in the Safranek case have been sealed and are not viewable to the public. On Wednesday, Rock thanked the Oregon Police Department for its work on the case. “I would like to thank the Oregon Police Department for their hard work on this case. This agreement was reached after consultation with the victim’s family and after taking into consideration the prior court’s evidentiary ruling,” Rock said. Nathaniel was a first grade student at Oregon Elementary School. He was found unresponsive and not breathing at 2:30 a.m. Feb. 17, 2021, in his bed at home in the 400 block of South 10th Street. He was pronounced dead later that day at KSB Hospital in Dixon. According to records obtained by Shaw Local in a Freedom of Information Act request, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services visited the house about a dozen times over two years, following up on five reports of suspected abuse and neglect. Each time, DCFS closed the case after finding no indications of parental wrongdoing. Nathaniel was 4 when the allegations first surfaced.
