He told police that his wife had killed herself, but he actually drowned her in the utility sink in the basement and will spend decades in jail for this.
The Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office said in a press release on Wednesday that Michael L. Vorrath, 68, must serve all 45 years of his sentence in jail for killing his 60-year-old wife Nancy Vorrath.
According to a news statement from the prosecutors’ office, the victim’s children talked about how she was the light of their lives and how her death had changed their lives forever.
The press release said, “They lost their mother in the worst way possible, and they also lost a father because he wouldn’t admit what he did.”
“The murder of their mom has caused family members to fight with each other and harmed the Vorrath name. The kids have had depression, nightmares, and the stress of having to wait so long for justice.”
Assistant State’s Attorney Dave Gast said that the suspect “submerged Mrs. Vorrath in a sink, held her there, and watched her life leave her body.” He added that this was a “hands-on crime.”
She was killed on November 19, 2019, at their Peoria home in the 3300 block of West Lexington Court. The accused told the cops that his wife had killed herself.
Later, his lawyer said that he tried to save her life by doing CPR for 15 minutes before calling 911. Police said they found her unconscious and with her head in a utility sink around 1 p.m. that day.
Prosecutors said an autopsy showed it wasn’t a suicide but rather a drowning death. Authorities say the woman had serious injuries that looked like she had been held underwater.
Following month, Michael Vorrath was arrested and charged by a grand jury. He had already quit his job as an advertising agent for the Peoria Journal Star.
The case went to trial more than once, and according to local CBS station WMBD, the first two trials were thrown out.
On August 14, the third jury found him guilty of murder in the first degree.
Nancy Vorrath was married to Michael L. Vorrath on July 16, 1977, and had a granddaughter.
The death notice said, “She loved to swim, read, camp, hike, and most of all, spend time with her children and grandchildren.”
“As the Direct Support Professional at EPIC in Peoria, she was perfect for her job working with people who have developmental and physical disabilities.” The two of them knew each other.
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She was the kind of person who would help anyone; she didn’t care about herself. People in Nancy’s neighborhood, at work, at church, among her friends, and most of all, by her family will miss her a lot.
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