8-year-old Amaria Osby pleaded "momma, stop!" as mother Andreal Hagler smothered her with plastic bag, prosecutors say
CHICAGO (CBS) -- An Uptown woman smothered her daughter with a plastic bag on her 8th birthday as the girl screamed "Momma, stop!" because she believed her daughter didn't love her anymore, prosecutors said Friday.
Andreal Hagler, 38, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Amaria Osby, who was found dead in their apartment in the building at 4639 N. Winthrop Ave. Wednesday morning.
Prosecutors said Hagler's brother went to her home in Uptown on Wednesday to check on Hagler and Amaria, after calling Hagler and not getting any answer. When he arrived, he found both of them unresponsive inside. He discovered a "comforter on the bed that was covering another body… two small legs from the shins down were visible," prosecutors said.
When police arrived, Amaria's uncle directed them to the bedroom, where officers found Hagler lying on the bed, face down, with a plastic bag over her head.
They also saw two small legs coming out from under a comforter on the bed, and when they moved the comforter, they found Amaia lying on the bed in her underwear, dead, with blood under her nose, froth around her mouth, and blood on her thigh, according to prosecutors.
As officers tried to get Hagler to get off the bed, she resisted by stiffening her body and clutching the mattress, before police were able to handcuff her and lift her off the bed, placing her in a chair.
Hagler kept her eyes closed and didn't talk before an ambulance arrived to take her to Weiss Memorial Hospital to be checked out. Amaria was pronounced dead at the scene.
Prosecutors said an autopsy determined Amaria died from multiple injuries caused by an assault, including bleeding under her scalp, bleeding on her brain, and injuries from asphyxiation.
A toxicology report later revealed Hagler had PCP in her system.
While she was in custody, Hagler admitted that, the night before, she and Amaria said their prayers before bed around 8 or 9 p.m., and then she began doing PCP and smothered Amaria with a plastic bag, as her daughter screamed "Momma, stop!"
"She said that she felt it was their time to go, because they were both born on the 24th," prosecutors said in a court filing.
Hagler also admitted to drinking bleach that night, but her daughter refused to drink any before Hagler put a plastic bag over Amaria's head to smother her, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors said Hagler claimed she thought her daughter didn't love her anymore, and loved her dad more.
The door to apartment 1A at the Winthrop Avenue building remained sealed Friday afternoon. Coming through that door just hours before the murder were child welfare investigators.
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has confirmed they have had previous contact with the family, but they say never for the children, but for the adults. DCFS most recent visit came the same day Hagler later smothered Amaria, and a day before the girl was found dead.
"No signs of abuse, neglect, or danger were noted by our investigator," DCFS spokesman Bill McCaffrey said in an email. "This family previously participated in intact family services from a substance abuse-related incident in 2017. The recent visit was the result of an allegation of domestic violence and was the first contact with the family since closing the prior case in 2018."
The domestic violence allegation DCFS investigated in 2018 involved abuse by one parent against the other, not against Amaria. There have not been any previous allegations of abuse or neglect of Amaria.
Neighbors of the family said their apartment was normally quiet. They also said Amaria liked to make cookies out of Play-Doh and always had a smile on for them. One of those neighbors was like Dave Dolinski, who talked with us earlier this week .
"She was an angel. Always smiled and said, 'Hello, hi Dave,'" he said. "I mean, I held her when she was months old. We did barbecues together. Just a great girl."
As of late Friday, Hagler's attorney said his client remains nearly comatose and a suicide risk behind bars. He said she was, for 17 years, an occupational therapist.
Hagler's bond was denied Friday.
