A woman who took heroin before a car crash that killed a Woodstock nurse and mother apologized in court Wednesday before she was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Sheree Shaw’s sentence was announced in a McHenry County courtroom packed with friends and relatives of Amy Thornton, who died days after Shaw’s car struck the motorcycle Thornton was riding in May 2016. Many of Thornton’s loved ones wore T-shirts with her photo to court.
Thornton, 42, was on a Harley-Davidson driven by her husband of nearly 20 years, Michael Thornton, who was also seriously injured. He spoke at Wednesday’s sentencing about the “devastating” loss of his wife, who attended Woodstock High School and was for many years a nurse at Centegra Hospital. He also detailed the multiple surgeries, painful physical and emotional rehabilitation and months of lost work he’s endured.
Breaking down on the stand, Thornton, 40, said he has “screws in place to hold my left side together” and has “no use of his left foot.”
He described how he and his wife had taken vacation days from their jobs and rode to Lake Geneva, Wis., where they talked about their older son’s college plans. They were on their way to his parents’ house in McHenry when the crash happened, and he recalled his wife calling out his name and clutching him tighter as he tried to avoid the collision.
The next thing he remembered was being on the ground, seeing his blood pool on the pavement and calling out for his wife, who did not respond. The next time he would see her was three days later, when she was on a ventilator in an intensive care unit and had lost brain activity.
He described his wife as his “best friend … (someone) who thought of others before herself.”
He said the crash “could have been avoided” but that Shaw had “zero respect for the law that day.”
Michael Thornton also read letters from his two sons as they sat nearby.
His son Zachary’s statement said in part: “I wish we could return to the way we once were.” He called his mother “the cohesiveness of our family.”
Younger son Michael wrote that his mother “was the nicest person … and (Shaw) took her away.”
Shaw, 46, of Twin Lakes, Wis., wept quietly during the hearing.
Her daughter, Alexandria Burdette, called Shaw a “wonderful … person” who fell into drug addiction.
Burdette said her mother, also a nurse, has had a difficult life and has suffered from bipolar disorder and depression. Despite her struggles, Shaw was a “great mom” who showered her three children with “unconditional love,” Burdette said.
Assistant Public Defender Angelo Mourelatos said Shaw is remorseful and has shown accountability by agreeing to plead guilty and not drag the Thornton family through a trial. He said her addiction began with prescription drugs that she was given for health issues. He said she’s been in treatment since being jailed.
Shaw herself stood and told the court she was “not in my right mind at the time of the accident.” She said she has had sleepless nights and will continue to “carry the burden of knowing” she killed Amy Thornton.
Addressing Thornton’s family and friends, Shaw said: “Please give me a chance to right my wrong. … I am not a bad person. I’m begging you to forgive me even though I cannot give back what you have lost.”
But Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Combs described Shaw as a “selfish drug addict.” He said her crime was “outrageous” and asked for the maximum prison sentence of 26 years.
“It was her choice to drive,” Combs said. “It was her choice to destroy that family.”
Judge Sharon Prather said she believed that Shaw is remorseful. The judge noted Shaw’s long history of drug addiction and said “it’s a shame that it got to this point” but called the crime “horrendous.”
Shaw will be required to serve 85 percent of her sentence and will receive credit for time served in jail since last year.
Amanda Marrazzo is a freelance reporter.
