From the State’s Attorney:
CARA M. ULLRICH PLEADS GUILTY TO INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER AND POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office announces that on February 7, 2025, Cara M. Ullrich, 46, of Richmond, plead guilty to
- one count of Involuntary Manslaughter and
- one count of Possession of a Controlled Substance
before the Honorable Judge Tiffany Davis.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled to begin on April 30, 2025.
On January 3, 2024, the Richmond Fire Department responded to a call of an unresponsive minor, where emergency personnel attempted lifesaving efforts.
The minor was later pronounced dead at Northwestern Hospital McHenry.
A toxicology performed on the minor revealed his cause of death was the adverse effects of fentanyl and xylazine.
An investigation into the minor’s death by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office revealed several full and used bags of narcotics containing heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine throughout the residence.
Ullrich, the minor’s mother had brought the illicit drugs into the home and was present in the home and aware of her son’s overdose event.
Neither Ullrich, nor the minor’s father, sought medical attention for their son who they found unresponsive in his bedroom.
Medical personnel subsequently opined that the minor would have survived if he had received medical attention during the overdose event.
Involuntary Manslaughter is a Class 2 felony, for which Ullrich would face between three and fourteen years in the Illinois Department of Corrections if sentenced to prison.
Possession of a Controlled Substance is a Class 4 felony, that carries a term between one and three years if sentenced to prison.
If sentenced to prison, Ullrich could face serving the terms consecutively to each other as well as to the prison sentence she is currently serving for Aggravated Battery.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office recognizes that parents have not only a moral duty, but a legal duty to protect and care for their children.
The senseless and tragic death of a 14-year-old was entirely preventable had medical treatment been sought for this minor.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office continues to remain committed to the prosecution of all those involved in drug-related deaths that occur in our communities, including the most vulnerable – our children.
This case was successfully prosecuted by McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi Freese accompanied by Chief of Staff Ashley Romito and Special Prosecutor William Bruce.
The State’s Attorney’s Office recognizes the diligent efforts of members of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office in their thorough investigation into this minor’s death.
The State’s Attorney’s Office also thanks the McHenry County’s Coroner’s Office for their collaborate work in this case.
