The following news release was distributed by the Kane County State's Attorney's Office:

A Geneva woman has been charged for intentionally poisoning her husband to death.

Julia L. Gutierrez, 53 (d.o.b. 8-3-1962), of the 1-99 block of Crissey Avenue, Geneva, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her husband, 53-year-old Eduardo Gutierrez of Geneva.
Geneva police and the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office allege that sometime between Jan. 26, 2016, and Jan. 28, 2016, Julia Gutierrez mixed the sedative Temazepam into a drink and gave the drink to Eduardo Gutierrez. Eduardo Gutierrez, unaware of the Temazepam, consumed the drink and died as a result.

A telephone call for a well-being check was placed to Geneva Police the evening of Jan. 28, 2016. Geneva Police responded to the Gutierrez home that night and found Eduardo Gutierrez dead and Julia Gutierrez in need of medical assistance. Julia Gutierrez was then taken to a local hospital.

Julia Gutierrez appeared this morning in Kane County bond court in front of Associate Judge Marmarie Kostelny. Judge Kostelny continued the bond hearing until 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016, in Courtroom 005 at the Kane County Judicial Center. Gutierrez remains in custody at the Kane County jail.

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

The charges against Julia Gutierrez are not proof of guilt. She is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the state’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.