Hoffman Estates mother charged with trying to kill her two children

A 38-year-old Hoffman Estates woman faces charges of trying to kill her two young children using medications, asphyxiation and natural gas, before also trying to kill herself.

Tracy F. Johnson, of the 1000 block of Atlantic Avenue, was held on $2 million bail Friday on two counts of attempted homicide for trying to kill her 5-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son in the family's apartment Tuesday, prosecutors said.

Johnson, who appeared in bond court wearing a hospital gown, was taken to a hospital after Friday's hearing because of what was described only as an "incident" at the courthouse. Attorneys with the Cook County public defender's office did not explain what happened or comment on her condition.

During the bond hearing, prosecutors said Johnson was angry with the 2-year-old's father because she felt he "was verbally abusive and did not take her problems seriously." She had made previous threats to harm herself, they said.

According to Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Maria McCarthy, Johnson first ground up various medications and served them to the children in a smoothie, but they didn't like the taste. She then tried putting the medications in water before abandoning that tactic and tying plastic bags over the kids' heads with rope, McCarthy said.

Johnson also turned on the natural gas burners on the stove but did not light them, McCarthy said.

During these efforts, she texted her mother to say she loved her. Johnson's mother called another daughter, who called police and requested a well-being check at Johnson's apartment.

Officers arrived at the apartment at 12:45 p.m. Tuesday and found the door blocked by an ottoman, but they were able to gain entry.

They found Johnson unresponsive on the floor and smelled a strong odor of natural gas, they said.

Immediately after calling the Hoffman Estates Fire Department, the officers also found the children in the apartment.

The 2-year-old was stumbling around with his eyes rolled back into his head, while the 5-year-old was initially unresponsive, prosecutors said. The older child regained consciousness and began crying.

All three family members were taken to St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates for treatment.

The children have since recovered and are with family, police said.

At the hospital, the children tested positive for the drug benzodiazepam, while Johnson was found to have that drug and opiates in her body. Benzodiazepam is used as an anti-anxiety, muscle relaxing and sedative drug, among other uses.

Johnson, who has a master's degree in counseling, told authorities she didn't want the children to go to their father's and that "heaven was the best place for all three of them," prosecutors said.

On a whiteboard in the apartment, she wrote that the 2-year-old's father was a "fraud" and she hoped he would never rest again, prosecutors said, and in an envelope near the whiteboard was her life insurance policy naming her mother as the beneficiary.

Johnson's next court date is June 1.