St. Charles woman who beat her husband in 2017 found dead in vehicle near Rockford

A St. Charles woman who beat her husband with a baseball bat in 2017 was found dead Tuesday in a vehicle in Loves Park near Rockford, officials said.

Authorities found the body of Donna Black, 60, in a parked vehicle near the intersection of Sunset Terrace and Commonwealth Drive, according to Winnebago County Coroner Bill Hintz.

She had been decomposing for "some time," Hintz said, and officials had trouble recognizing her. It was unclear how long she'd been in the vehicle.

A cause of death is pending further studies with the coroner. Hintz said there will be more answers in the next two to three weeks.

Black pleaded guilty to felony aggravated domestic battery in June after she was initially charged in October 2017 for attempted murder and aggravated domestic battery for attacking her then 57-year-old husband with a baseball bat while he was sleeping. She was sentenced to 180 days in jail and 48 months of probation.

Their adult daughter called the police at about 4:30 a.m. from their home in the 400 block of Valley View Drive after being awakened by her father's cries for help. He was taken to the hospital with several lacerations to his head and broke his arm trying to defend himself, police said.