Woman charged in fatal DUI writes of remorse

MORRIS -- A 43-year-old Illinois woman charged with aggravated drunk-driving in an accident that killed three people writes daily from jail, calling herself a drunken murderer and expressing remorse, according to her fiance.

But Lawrence Digness said that, while Ann Marie Getz is an alcoholic, she is not a monster.

Getz had been twice convicted of drunk driving when she allegedly ran a stop sign in November and smashed into another car. Police said she was drunk at the time.

The crash killed 27-year-old Amanda Jahn of Dwight and her children, 3-year-old Ryan and 11-month-old Kaitlyn. Josh Jahn, Amanda's husband and the children's father, survived.

"I feel for (Josh Jahn) and so does my wife. People don't seem to think so. They ought to read some of those letters," Dingess said in an interview with The (Joliet) Herald-News.

In her letters, Getz talks about deep regrets.

"I'm now a murderer ... I took three innocent lives and two were beautiful children of a family I wiped out (because of) stupidity and selfishness," Getz wrote.

Dingess said Getz was on suicide watch her first week at the Grundy County Jail in Morris.

Getz pleaded guilty to DUI in 2001 and was convicted again in 2002. After the second conviction, she was sentenced to 60 days in jail and had her license revoked for three years, Grundy County State's Attorney Sheldon Sobol has said.

But she had her license when the November crash happened.

Illinois only takes a drive's license away for life after a fourth DUI.

An Associated Press review of state data earlier this year found that, out of 8.5 million licensed drivers in the state, more than 45,000 have one or more DUI convictions. More than 3,800 have two DUIs and more than 2,700 have three.

Getz was being held on $1 million bond.

Digness said she has also tried to write to Josh Jahn, "but a guard brought it back to her and said it was too early to send a letter."

Five days before the crash, Getz, Dingess and his son moved into a new home in Ransom. She worked while Dingess stayed home to care for his son.

But since she's been in jail, Dingess hasn't been able to find a job and they have missed their first mortgage payment, he said.

"I'm about to lose my home," he said. "I'm fighting for my life. I'm fighting for my son's life."

He said it's important to keep the house for Getz, for when she comes home.

"I promised I would be here for her and I will be," Dingess said. "She deserves it. If nothing else, to be laid to rest here. This is her property."