Schaumburg woman convicted of killing disabled daughter released on bond
LINCOLN, Ill. (WLS) -- A Schaumburg woman convicted of killing her profoundly disabled daughter was released on bond Friday after serving less than three months of her sentence.
An appeals court granted bond Thursday to Bonnie Liltz, 56, who has been in prison since May when a judge sentenced her to four years for involuntary manslaughter in the death of her adopted daughter Courtney, who was profoundly disabled with cerebral palsy.
RAW VIDEO: Liltz walks out of prison with loved ones
Liltz walked out of the Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln, Ill., Friday afternoon. As she walked out of the maximum security prison - still in shock that she was free to go home - she said she was tired and her health remains an issue.
"Glad to be going home," Liltz told cameras outside the prison.
After learning Liltz would be able to leave prison, attorney Thomas Glasgow could barely wait until his telephone appointment to break the news to her.
Glasgow: The appellate court granted your bond.
Liltz: They did?
Glasgow: They did. You're going to be released as soon as we can get your bond posted.
Liltz: Are you serious?
Glasgow: Absolutely.
Liltz: Oh my God, thank you.
Liltz, who suffers from ovarian cancer, told the court she thought her life was about to end and she worried there would be no one to care for Courtney. Her frail health is apparently the reason the appellate court is allowing her to be released.
"Difficult, health-wise. I need to get healthier," Liltz said Friday afternoon.
Liltz will only be free on bond for the time being, but she hopes to get the medical care she needs. Glasgow is hoping to convince the appellate court to make it permanent by shortening her sentence. He said her health is deteriorating in prison, and this decision changes her outlook dramatically.
