Julia Gutierrez pleaded guilty but mentally ill Thursday to murdering her husband, Eduardo, in their Geneva home with a poisoned smoothie.
In January 2016 she gave him a smoothie containing a fatal dose of six Temazepam pills. On Thursday, she was sentenced to 22 years in prison as part of an agreement with Kane County prosecutors.
Gutierrez, 54, who spoke quietly only to answer questions during the hearing, rocked in her chair as the crime was described by Assistant State’s Attorney Greg Sams and when one of Eduardo’s five sisters, Lidia Pyecha, read a statement to Judge D.J. Tegeler and others in his courtroom.
“It sickens us to think Eddie let his guard down. Eddie gave his life for her,” Pyecha said. “His life was taken way too early.”
Another sister, Rachel Mooney, added afterward, “There is no adjective to describe how we feel.”
Geneva police responded to the Gutierrez’s Crissey Avenue home Jan. 28, 2016, after concerned friends of the family reported a “strange” package arrival that contained $40,000 in cash, a check for $5,000 and a note written by Julia stating “Ed has been suffering so much,” Sams said. Eduardo “appeared to be deceased for some time” when officers found his body in the living room, Sams added. Julia Gutierrez was located semi-conscious in a bathroom.
Officers reported a note in Julia’s handwriting that included statements such as “I love him so much, please forgive me” and “Hope to see you in heaven.” Numerous prescription pill bottles were recovered by police from the home.
Prosecutors have long suggested the case was an attempted murder-suicide. Julia Gutierrez told police she suffered for years from an environmental illness and “wanted to die … so many times.”
“He was suffering more than me,” Sams said, quoting Julia Gutierrez’s comments to police.
Despite Julia’s perception, Eduardo’s sisters said their brother remained upbeat and a supportive member of their close-knit family even though they didn’t all live in the same state. They described Eduardo as a hard-working man dedicated to his religion, his family and customers of his small business.
He “exemplified being a servant to God,” Pyecha said. “All of this came to an abrupt end.”
Pyecha and Mooney also reflected on Julia, who was their sister-in-law for decades.
“We are devastated that you will have to spend time in prison for a terrible decision,” Pyecha said through tears in court.
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Mooney, outside the courtroom, said the family has “deep sadness” for Julia.
Gutierrez’s attorney, Assistant Public Defender Julia Yetter, cited a Kane County Diagnostic Center evaluation which diagnosed Gutierrez with a mental health disorder that included depression.
In a statement, State’s Attorney Joe McMahon said the case reflects the challenges of mental health issues in the community, including the limited resources available to help those in need.
Dan Campana is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.