Prosecutor intends to seek life sentence against mother accused of killing daughter, age 7
GALESBURG — The pre-trial hearing for Hazel Ivy, a Galesburg mother charged with the murder of her 7-year-old daughter, is scheduled to begin April 4.
Ivy, 30, faces three counts of first-degree murder. Knox County State’s Attorney Jeremy S. Karlin has filed a notice of intent to seek a life sentence, charging that the mother strangled and stabbed seven-year-old Willow Banks with “exceptionally brutal or heinous behavior indicative of wanton cruelty.”
A previous version of this story showed the official trial would begin March 21. But the attorney's involved will tell the presiding Judge Raymond Cavanaugh at the pre-trial on Monday whether they want to push the trial back. No official trial date has yet been set.
More: Police: Galesburg mother said she 'snapped' in stabbing of 7-year-old daughter
At a preliminary hearing in February 2021, Galesburg Police Department detective Travis Smith testified he was notified of a potential homicide in the early morning hours of Jan. 24, 2021.
Previous reporting shows officers located the body of the deceased young girl in an upstairs bedroom of an apartment in the Cedar Creek public housing complex. A serrated knife was recovered in the victim’s bedroom, where blood was found on the bed, walls, and floor.
Preliminary autopsy results showed Banks died of strangulation and approximately 24 stab wounds to the face and upper body. Smith testified he interviewed Ivy at the police station where she stated she had “snapped.”
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Ivy was taken into custody Jan. 24, 2021 and has entered a plea of not guilty to Judge Cavanaugh. Ivy is represented by First Assistant Public Defender Daniel O’Brien and attorney at law Christopher Kanthak.
Court documents show the defense team has hired Dr. Ryan Finkenbine, a forensic psychiatrist and professor of clinical psychiatry at University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria.
Court documents also show Karlin has filed for squad car and police body-camera footage to be presented as evidence in the trial, as well voicemail recordings and Bank’s autopsy.
A subpoena was issued to a chapter of the Safe Families for Children in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, an organization which, according to the organization’s website, works to provide support for families in crisis.
The subpoena requested medical records pertaining to any mental health diagnosis, medication or treatment regarding Ivy but court documents show no contact was made.
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This article originally appeared on Galesburg Register-Mail: Trial of Galesburg mother accused of killing daughter starts March 21
