Illinois woman faces natural life sentence, the state's harshest punishment, after alleged murder of 7-year-old daughter
GALESBURG, Ill. — An Illinois woman is facing the state's most severe legal punishment, a natural life sentence, in the stabbing death of her 7-year-old daughter.
Judge Nigel Graham read the charges to Hazel Ivy, 29, at her first court appearance via video conference Monday, stating the woman stabbed the child with a knife, causing her death. Ivy is facing two counts of first-degree murder.
Police responded to a possible homicide on Sunday at a public housing project, and Ivy directed officers to the second floor of an apartment. The victim was found stabbed 10 times in the face and body, authorities said.
Knox County State’s Attorney Jeremy Karlin said he would seek a natural life sentence against Ivy because of statutory aggravating factors alleged in this homicide.
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He said in court that the evidence showed the child's death came from “exceptional brutal or heinous behavior indicative of wanton cruelty.” He also said that multiple wounds on the victim's face were evidence of torture.
The child was pronounced dead at the scene and Ivy was taken into custody, authorities said. Ivy’s older child was taken into shelter care with the Illinois Department of Child Family Services.
Ivy reportedly moved to Galesburg from the Chicago area with her children in recent years. She has a CDL license and formerly worked as a truck driver. The 7-year-old was not registered in Galesburg District 205 schools.
The judge set Ivy's bail at $1.5 million and appointed the Knox County public defender to represent her. The next court date is a Feb. 8 preliminary hearing.
This article originally appeared on Galesburg Register-Mail: Illinois woman faces first-degree murder for daughter's stabbing death
