Woman made son, girl pray as she stabbed them to death

— A Polish-born woman in suburban Chicago stabbed her 7-year-old son 100 times then turned the knife on a 5-year-old girl who witnessed the killing, as both children begged for their lives, a prosecutor said Thursday.

Elzbieta Plackowska, 40, told investigators she stabbed the children and slashed their throats Tuesday night at the home in Naperville because she was angry with her husband, a truck driver who was often away, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said.

Plackowska told investigators her husband left her alone to care for her son Justin. She works as a maid, which she felt was beneath her, Berlin said at a bond hearing.

“She told the detectives that she thought by killing Justin she would make her husband hurt the way she hurt in their relationship,” Berlin said.

Plackowska told investigators she found Justin and Olivia Dworakowski — whom she was babysitting that night — jumping on the bed, Berlin said.

“She had grabbed the knife and she made both victims kneel and begin praying. She began stabbing her son Justin and told him he was going to heaven tonight. He pleaded for his life and told her to stop. But she continued stabbing him until he was dead,” he said at a news conference after the hearing.

“She then turned her attention to 5-year-old Olivia and began stabbing her with the knife multiple times.

She, as well, pleaded for her life, but the defendant continued to stab her until she was deceased.”

Plackowska killed Olivia because she had witnessed the attack on Justin, Berlin said.

The slayings took place at the home of Olivia’s mother who works nights as a nurse and had left her daughter in the woman’s care before. Plackowska also stabbed the two family dogs.

“In all my years in law enforcement, this is the most gruesome and horrific crime scene that I have seen,” Naperville police Chief Bob Marshall said at the news conference. Naperville is 40 kilometres west of Chicago.