'Mama is going to kill me': 7-year-old suffocated by mother told his grandma 'she won't let me breathe' after mom spent years trying to smother him with pillows, couch cushions

A parent successful Illinois has confessed to murdering her 7-year-old son, with tribunal documents outlining however the lad was perpetually successful fearfulness of being suffocated by the pistillate — telling his grandmother, "Mama is going to termination me." The kid said his ma tried "several times" to clasp pillows and sofa cushions implicit his caput portion helium was playing and sleeping earlier his decease successful 2021.

"I can't respire grandma, she won't fto maine breathe," Nathaniel Burton told his paternal grandma astir his mom, Sarah Safranek, and her repeated attempts to suffocate him, according to court documents and Ogle County prosecutors.

Safranek, 38, of Oregon, pleaded guilty past week to first-degree murder and was sentenced to 35 years successful situation for the February 2021 suffocation decease of her son, section CBS affiliate WIFR reports.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services visited Safranek's location astir a twelve times implicit a two-year span earlier Nathaniel was killed, according to the Shaw Local News Network. DCFS closed the lawsuit each clip aft uncovering nary indications of parental wrongdoing, Shaw Local reports.

The boy's grandma told constabulary that Nathaniel came to her "about 2 months prior" to his execution and said his ma had "come into his chamber and enactment a pillow implicit his caput portion helium was sleeping," according to tribunal filings.

Nathaniel's maternal grandma besides reported akin statements that Nathaniel made astir his mother, including allegations that Safranek had tried "drowning him successful a bathtub." The lad "constantly told her helium was disquieted that [Safranek] was going to suffocate him," according to prosecutors.

Love existent crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life transgression stories delivered close to your inbox.

Nathaniel's sister besides described seeing Safranek "choke him and deed him with a belt." The boy's foster parents, whom helium lived with for respective months erstwhile helium was 5-years-old, alleged that helium told them astir akin incidents. His foster ma said that connected 1 occasion, helium "told her helium was kneeling by the sofa with the cushion disconnected and playing with artifact cars erstwhile [Safranek] threw the cushion implicit him, sat connected it, and would not get off," according to tribunal documents.

Safranek suffocated Nathaniel connected Feb. 17, 2021, astatine their location successful the 400 artifact of S. 10th Street successful Ogle County. He was hospitalized and died a time later.

Authorities launched an probe and recovered important grounds implicating Safranek, including horrifying net searches and diary entries "reflecting that she hurts her kids," according to prosecutors.

"What is it called erstwhile a genitor is obsessed with the thought of sidesplitting their child?" Safranek Googled connected Nov. 1, 2020, according to tribunal documents.

"How overmuch does cremation of a kid cost?" Safranek asked connected Feb. 17, 2021, the time Nathaniel died. "How agelong does an probe instrumentality aft a kid passes away?" she Googled that aforesaid day.

Other searches that Safranek made included inquiries astir Scott Peterson and Laci Peterson, a Google hunt connected "how to rapidly termination someone," a Wired nonfiction astir the "best deadly poisons," a Vice nonfiction astir "why immoderate mothers termination their children," and a Google hunt connected "how to termination idiosyncratic with a voodoo doll," according to prosecutors.

Safranek initially pleaded blameworthy successful March 2024 but past withdrew her plea and was scheduled to spell connected proceedings past August. Her proceedings was removed from the tribunal calendar, however, successful July 2024 aft prosecutors appealed several rulings that were made by a justice overseeing the lawsuit who retired.

Safranek was ordered past week to afloat service her 35-year condemnation earlier she tin beryllium granted mandatory supervised release.