Bonnie Liltz
Bonnie Liltz was sentenced to four years for killing her disabled daughter with a fatal overdose of medication. Facebook

A mother who was sentenced to four years in prison for giving her disabled daughter a fatal dose of medication has committed suicide. Bonnie Liltz was supposed to report to prison two days after her death, her attorney said.

Liltz, 57, was found dead in her apartment in Schaumburg, Illinois, according to the Chicago Tribune. She left a note behind saying she did not want to die in jail, her attorney Thomas Glasgow said.

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"It's a tragic, tragic end," Glasgow said. "She just didn't want to die in prison."

Glasgow said he spoke with Liltz on Friday (24 November) and noted that she appeared fine after spending the Thanksgiving holiday with her mother and sister. He added Liltz was always in pain and had lost more weigh, dropping from 98lbs to 84lbs.

Authorities went to Liltz's apartment just after 6pm on Saturday (25 November) after family members raised an alarm of concern. Schaumburg Police Sgt Christy Lindhurst said there was no evidence of foul play and suicide is suspected. An investigation into her death continues.

In 2015, when her health began to deteriorate, Liltz said she worried her daughter Courtney, a 28-year-old with cerebral palsy, would be placed in an institution and not receive the care she needed. Liltz then decided to commit a murder-suicide with pills, according to WGN TV. Liltz survived but her daughter died.

Liltz was expected to report to prison Monday (27 November), WGN TV reported. She pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in her daughter's death and was sentenced to prison by Cook County Judge Joel Greenblatt.

During sentencing, Greenblatt said Liltz deserved prison time, the Tribune reported. "The choice you made that morning was not an act of love. It was a crime."

Liltz served a few months but was granted bond by appellate court judges and allowed to receive medical care. She was ordered to report back to prison on Monday (27 November) after the Illinois Supreme Court declined to hear her sentence appeal.