Mom Pressed Pillows Over Son’s Face for Years. Then She Finally Killed Him: ‘She Won’t Let Me Breathe’ By Nicole Acosta

An Illinois mother who admitted to killing her 7-year-old son has learned her fate.

Sarah Safranek, 38, was sentenced to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in connection with the death of Nathaniel Burton, local news stations WIFR, WREX and WKRC reported, citing the Ogle County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors said Safranek suffocated her 7-year-old son on Feb. 17, 2021. That day, police officers responded to the family’s home in Oregon, Ill., on a report of a child not breathing, WREX reported.

Nathaniel was later pronounced dead at a hospital, authorities said, per WKRC.

According to court documents reviewed by PEOPLE, prosecutors said the boy previously claimed that his mother had repeatedly held pillows over his face and “wouldn’t give up” in the months before he died.

The boy told his paternal grandmother that Safranek would also try to drown him and that she “won’t let me breathe,” per the documents, which state the abuse began in 2018.

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The paternal grandmother told authorities that she contacted Illinois Department of Children and Family Services “several times” and left messages but never spoke to anyone, according to the documents.

Authorities also found multiple internet searches Safranek made dating back to 2020 including, “How long does an investigation take after a child passes away,” and “I’ve had thoughts about killing my kid,'” per the documents.

Safranek initially pleaded guilty in March 2024 but then withdrew that plea, WKRC reported. Her sentence will be followed by three years of mandatory supervised release, prosecutors said, per the outlet.