Woman Accused of Killing Husband With Poisoned Smoothie Pleads Not Guilty

KANE COUNTY, IL - A 53-year-old Geneva woman accused of killing her husband after she slipped a sedative into his smoothie has entered not guilty pleas to murder charges, the Aurora Beacon News reports.

Julia L. Gutierrez is accused of killing her husband, Eduardo Gutierrez, whose body was found in their home on Crissey Avenue on Jan. 28. Julia Gutierrez remains in custody at the Kane County Jail after a judge on Friday also denied a Guitierrez’s request to set bail, according to the Aurora Beacon-News.

Sometime between Jan. 26 and Jan. 28, Julia Gutierrez is accused of mixing Temazepam, which is a sedative used to treat insomnia, into a smoothie and then gave the drink to her husband, according to police and media reports. Eduardo Gutierrez was unaware of the Temazepam, consumed the drink and died as a result, according to a press release from the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office.

A telephone call for a well-being check was placed to Geneva Police the evening of Jan. 28. Geneva Police responded to the Gutierrez home at about 6:19 p.m. that evening and found Eduardo Gutierrez dead and Julia Gutierrez in need of medical assistance. Julia Gutierrez was taken to a local hospital. WGN reports Julia tried to use the sedative to kill herself and was found by police in a “tranquilized state.”

If convicted, Gutierrez would be sentenced to between 20 and 60 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

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