(Lake County, IL) On Thursday, July 21, 2022, a Lake County Judge sentenced a Park City woman to eight years for involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment of her own child. The sentence is to be served at 50% with 2 years of supervised release and includes 75 days of credit.  

Jennifer Stroud, 41, was convicted of one count of Involuntarily Manslaughter and one count of Endangering a Child / Causing Death on May 10, 2022.    

“As the court noted, this is a tremendous tragedy. Our office prosecuted both parents because Jason’s death was preventable. It was criminal and reckless for them to fail to treat and care for their son. As Mr. Kalata said, they criminally squandered the most precious thing: Jason’s life. After many years, we hope that justice for Jason will also mean that this never happens again,” State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said. 

Stroud was first charged with both Class 3 felonies in January 2017, for failing to take her son, Jason Stroud, to regular hospital visits after a heart transplant and not giving him critical daily medication that was needed to prevent his body from rejecting his new heart. The parents’ inaction eventually led to the death of the 11-year-old child on September 11, 2016.  

With the offenses carrying up to 14 years, Assistant State’s Attorney Eric Kalata asked Presiding Judge Daniel Shanes to give an appropriate prison sentence to Stroud. Kalata argued that, although no sentence could bring Jason back, it could deter others from committing the same offenses. 

Defense attorneys called three witnesses to provide testimony during the sentencing hearing. Defense also requested probation in their presentation to the court.  

Assistant State’s Attorney Kalata emphasized that although you can delegate duties between parents, you cannot delegate the overall responsibility of being a parent. 

During the sentencing, Judge Shanes expressed how not only did Stroud fail her civic duties of society, but she also failed her moral duties as a mother.