‘I failed my son,’ Richmond man tells judge, seeking leniency in death of teen who overdosed on mom’s drugs

In asking for leniency, Eric Ullrich told a judge he “failed” in not calling 911 after realizing his child was overdosing on his mother’s fentanyl and xylazine in his home near Richmond.

“I failed to protect my son. I failed to act when I should have,” Ullrich told McHenry County Judge Christopher Harmon on Tuesday during the fourth day of Ullrich’s sentencing hearing.

Ullrich, 52, and his ex-wife, Cara Ullrich, 46, were both initially charged with murder in the fatal overdose of their son Trent, who was 14. Both parents pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

Prosecutors have asked for a 19-year prison sentence for Eric Ullrich, 14 years for Trent’s death and five for witness tampering, to be served consecutively. Ullrich’s attorneys argue it is not mandatory, but discretionary, that the judge order the sentences be served consecutively.

Prosecutors said Eric Ullrich committed witness tampering when he told his other son – who would have been called as a witness for the state had the case gone to trial – to say he did not remember what happened the morning Trent Ullrich died.

Assistant State’s Attorney Ashley Romito said on Jan. 3, 2024, when the Ullrichs realized their son likely was overdosing, rather than call for help, the pair argued, frantically sought to revive him in the shower, then laid him on the couch naked.

Hours later, when the Ullrichs woke up “in arms reach” of their son, he was unresponsive and not breathing, the prosecutor said.

A doctor testified earlier in the sentencing hearing that if 911 had been called when the couple realized Trent was overdosing, he would have survived. But the pair were more concerned with avoiding another interaction with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Romito said. She later added that when paramedics arrived at his home, Eric Ullrich was still “purposely withholding information that could have saved him.”

“This was entirely preventable. Eric made the executive decision to play Russian roulette to not have another go-round with DCFS,” Romito said. The boys had been in DCFS custody in the past, she said.

Cara Ullrich – who was found hiding in an upstairs bathtub with a baggie of drugs nearby while paramedics were trying to save Trent’s life – did not live in the family house but had been there during the month prior, despite Eric Ullrich saying he did not know she was there. Two weeks before Trent’s death, she overdosed and was revived with naloxone, Romito said.

Photos were found of the Ullrichs and their sons holding up bags of marijuana Christmas morning, Romito said.

“That house was toxic,” she said referring to the cocaine, fentanyl, marijuana and drug paraphernalia found throughout the house. She asserted that Eric Ullrich knew his son was overdosing and did not call for help.

“All it would take was a phone call,” Romito said, adding that if Ullrich didn’t want to call 911, he could have driven his son to a hospital and dropped him off. “Sure, he is remorseful now, but at the time he was more concerned with protecting himself.”

Ullrich’s attorney, Michael Combs, said Eric “already lost his son” and still has another son to whom he will always be a dad. Combs said it would be inappropriate to ask for probation, but because Ullrich “admitted to what he did” that called for a lighter sentence.

“If he really thought his son was going to die he would have called 911,” Combs said. “He thought he would sleep it off.”

The defense attorney added that Eric Ullrich took his son’s blood pressure, which was normal. Combs also said there is “nothing” the judge can do that will change the fact that Trent Ullrich is dead.

Ullrich “knows [his son] is dead and his actions had a part in it,” Combs said.

Harmon is scheduled to announce his sentence April 25. Cara Ullrich’s sentencing hearing begins April 30.

A third person charged in the teen’s death is Jose Limas, 70, of Antioch. Limas, who is in custody, is charged with drug-induced homicide, a Class X felony, records show. He is accused of selling Cara Ullrich the fentanyl that killed Trent.