PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria man learned his fate Wednesday after being found guilty in August in connection to the death of his wife nearly five years ago.
The Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office says 68-year-old Michael Vorrath was sentenced to 45 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. He was found guilty in August for the November 2019 death of 60-year-old Nancy Vorrath.
Michael Vorrath must serve 100% of the sentence.
Michael had claimed Nancy committed suicide in their Lexington Court home on November 19th, 2019, with her head in a utility sink full of water, and attempted to save her. Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood listed drowning as the cause of death, but also noted multiple blunt force trauma injuries on Nancy.
The state’s attorney’s office says Nancy’s children testified at the sentencing hearing of how the murder impacted their lives. They testified of losing a mother in a horrific way, but also losing a father who refused to admit what he did. The children also testified of suffering from depression, nightmares, and a prolonged wait for justice.
Assistant State’s Attorney Dave Gast argued for a lengthy prison sentence at the hearing, saying it was a “hands-on crime” where Michael submerged Nancy in the sink, held her there, and watched the life leave her body.
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