Sarah Safranek, 38, was sentenced to 35 years after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in the 2021 suffocation of her 7-year-old son, Nathaniel Burton. Court records say the boy told relatives his mother repeatedly pressed pillows over his face and attempted to drown him, saying, "she won't let me breathe." The alleged abuse reportedly began in 2018; the paternal grandmother says she repeatedly contacted child welfare officials without reaching anyone. Investigators also recovered troubling internet searches by Safranek dating to 2020. Her prison term will be followed by three years of supervised release.
‘She Won’t Let Me Breathe’: Illinois Mother Sentenced to 35 Years After Admitting She Suffocated 7-Year-Old Son
Sarah Safranek, 38, was sentenced to 35 years after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in the 2021 suffocation of her 7-year-old son, Nathaniel Burton. Court records say the boy told relatives his mother repeatedly pressed pillows over his face and attempted to drown him, saying, "she won't let me breathe." The alleged abuse reportedly began in 2018; the paternal grandmother says she repeatedly contacted child welfare officials without reaching anyone. Investigators also recovered troubling internet searches by Safranek dating to 2020. Her prison term will be followed by three years of supervised release.
04:55 AM, 11/18/2025Society
Illinois mother sentenced after admitting she suffocated her 7-year-old son
Sarah Safranek, 38, was sentenced to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in the death of her son, Nathaniel Burton, prosecutors and local authorities said.
What happened
Prosecutors say Nathaniel was suffocated on Feb. 17, 2021. Police were called to the family's home in Oregon, Illinois, on a report of a child not breathing; Nathaniel was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Allegations of prior abuse
Court documents reviewed by prosecutors describe a pattern of abuse stretching back to 2018. According to those records, the child told relatives that his mother repeatedly pressed pillows over his face and at times tried to drown him. In his words, as quoted in the documents:
"She won't let me breathe."
The boy reportedly described the repeated incidents to his paternal grandmother, who the records say contacted the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services several times and left messages but was unable to reach anyone.
Investigative evidence
Investigators also recovered internet searches attributed to Safranek dating back to 2020. Examples cited in court records include queries such as, "How long does an investigation take after a child passes away" and the entry, "I've had thoughts about killing my kid."
Legal proceedings and sentence
Safranek initially entered a guilty plea in March 2024 but later withdrew it. She subsequently pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to 35 years in prison. Prosecutors said the term will be followed by three years of mandatory supervised release.
This case has raised questions about child welfare reporting and response: the grandmother's repeated attempts to reach DCFS are cited in court records, and the timeline of alleged abuse has been a focus of investigators and prosecutors.
Sources: Ogle County State’s Attorney’s Office and local reporting.