The late DeKalb County Sheriff’s Deputy Christina Musil is being remembered two years after she was killed in a DUI crash while on duty.

The driver responsible is serving 14 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

The sheriff’s office posted a tribute to Musil, 35, a mother of three who’d served in the U.S. Army National Guard and deployed to Afghanistan from 2008 to 2009. At the time of her death, she’d been with the sheriff’s office for five years, working in the corrections division and later in patrol.

“We will never forget you,” the post reads. “End of Watch, March 29, 2024.”

Musil was sitting in her squad car along the side of Route 23 south of Perry Road in Waterman at about 10:39 p.m. March 28, 2024, when her car was rear-ended by a Kenworth commercial truck. She was pronounced dead at Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital in DeKalb shortly after midnight on March 29.

In the two years since, the driver, Nathan P. Sweeney, pleaded guilty to driving his work truck under the influence of drugs that night. In turn, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison, the maximum sentence. A judge last week denied his motion to reconsider that sentence.

Many loved ones in DeKalb County have found ways since 2024 to pay tribute to Musil’s life and legacy.

Musil was remembered by friends, family and colleagues as a “true community hero.” She’s been celebrated for her love for her children and the compassion and kindness she brought to her job.

Hundreds showed up for her funeral, which was held at Northern Illinois University’s Convocation Center in DeKalb, including law enforcement from across the county and the country.

To mark one year since her death, Musil’s colleagues with the sheriff’s office hosted more than 100 people at a memorial vigil in March 2025.

On May 19, 2025, officials erected a memorial plaque and a first responder memorial tribute at the DeKalb-Sycamore line on Sycamore Road across from Hy-Vee. Some of Musil’s family were present during a dedication ceremony at the memorial, 2675 Sycamore Road.

In June 2025, the DeKalb County United women’s soccer team raised funds for Musil’s children and local charities that support families who’ve lost loved ones in the line of duty.

In July 2025, Sheriff Andy Sullivan, Musil’s mother and several of her loved ones and colleagues biked almost 400 miles across Illinois to raise money for the Illinois Concerns of Police Survivors, a group that helps families of fallen law enforcement.