Tragic Case: Mother Repeatedly Attempts to Smother Son Before Committing Fatal Act

In a chilling case from Illinois, a mother has admitted to the murder of her 7-year-old son, revealing a harrowing pattern of abuse that the young boy feared would ultimately cost him his life. According to court documents, the child, Nathaniel Burton, had expressed his terror to his grandmother, saying, “Mama is going to kill me,” as he lived in constant fear of suffocation at the hands of his mother.

Reports detail how Nathaniel told his paternal grandmother that his mother, Sarah Safranek, had made repeated attempts to smother him using pillows and couch cushions, both during playtime and while he slept. “I can’t breathe grandma, she won’t let me breathe,” Nathaniel reportedly confided, indicating the frightening encounters he endured, as documented by court records and Ogle County prosecutors.

Last week, Safranek, 38, residing in the small town of Oregon, Illinois, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. She received a 35-year prison sentence for the smothering death of her son in February 2021, as reported by local CBS affiliate, WIFR.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) had been involved with Safranek’s household, visiting approximately a dozen times over two years prior to the tragedy. According to the Shaw Local News Network, each investigation concluded with no evidence of parental misconduct, leading to the closure of the cases.

In a heart-rending disclosure to the police, Nathaniel’s paternal grandmother revealed that her grandson had approached her about two months before his death. He recounted an incident in which his mother had allegedly entered his bedroom and placed a pillow over his head as he slept, as noted in court filings.

Similarly, Nathaniel’s maternal grandmother corroborated these fears, recalling Nathaniel’s accusations that his mother had even attempted to drown him in a bathtub. Prosecutors highlighted Nathaniel’s persistent fear, as he frequently expressed his anxiety about being suffocated by Safranek, painting a grim picture of his last days.

Nathaniel’s sister also described seeing Safranek “choke him and hit him with a belt.” The boy’s foster parents, whom he lived with for several months when he was 5-years-old, alleged that he told them about similar incidents. His foster mom said that on one occasion, he “told her he was kneeling by the couch with the cushion off and playing with toy cars when [Safranek] threw the cushion over him, sat on it, and would not get off,” according to court documents.

Safranek suffocated Nathaniel on Feb. 17, 2021, at their home in the 400 block of S. 10th Street in Ogle County. He was hospitalized and died a day later.

Authorities launched an investigation and found substantial evidence implicating Safranek, including horrifying internet searches and journal entries “reflecting that she hurts her kids,” according to prosecutors.

“What is it called when a parent is obsessed with the thought of killing their child?” Safranek Googled on Nov. 1, 2020, according to court documents.

“How much does cremation of a child cost?” Safranek asked on Feb. 17, 2021, the day Nathaniel died. “How long does an investigation take after a child passes away?” she Googled that same day.

Other searches that Safranek made included inquiries about Scott Peterson and Laci Peterson, a Google search on “how to quickly kill someone,” a Wired article about the “best deadly poisons,” a Vice article about “why some mothers kill their children,” and a Google search on “how to kill someone with a voodoo doll,” according to prosecutors.

Safranek initially pleaded guilty in March 2024 but then withdrew her plea and was scheduled to go on trial last August. Her trial was removed from the court calendar, however, in July 2024 after prosecutors appealed several rulings that were made by a judge overseeing the case who retired.

Safranek was ordered last week to fully serve her 35-year sentence before she can be granted mandatory supervised release.