In a tragic case from Illinois, a mother has admitted to the murder of her 7-year-old son, revealing a disturbing history of the child living in fear of suffocation. According to court records, the young boy had expressed his terror to his grandmother, saying, “Mama is going to kill me.” He recounted several instances where his mother allegedly tried to smother him with pillows and couch cushions while he played and slept, ultimately leading to his death in 2021.

Nathaniel Burton confided in his paternal grandmother about his mother, Sarah Safranek, repeatedly trying to suffocate him. “I can’t breathe, Grandma, she won’t let me breathe,” he reportedly said, as noted in court documents and confirmed by Ogle County prosecutors.

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

Despite the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services making approximately twelve visits to Safranek’s home over a two-year period, no parental misconduct was detected, leading to the closure of each case, according to the Shaw Local News Network.

The boy’s grandmother informed the police that Nathaniel had approached her about two months before his death, recounting an incident where his mother had allegedly placed a pillow over his head while he was asleep, as detailed in court documents.

Nathaniel’s maternal grandmother also reported similar statements that Nathaniel made about his mother, including allegations that Safranek had tried “drowning him in a bathtub.” The boy “constantly told her he was worried that [Safranek] was going to suffocate him,” according to prosecutors.

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.