Woman Gives Birth After Killing Her First Baby

Just hours after being sentenced to prison Thursday, for the death of her 11-month-old daughter, Angel Vanduker gave birth to another child.

Chief Assistant State’s Attorney Kevin Johnson said Vanduker went into labor late Friday night and gave birth en route to UnityPoint Health-Methodist.

The Illinois Department of Family and Child Services took the infant into protective custody shortly after the birth.

Vanduker, 21, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in November in Tazewell County Circuit Court in connection with Nova Tucker’s death on Sept. 24, 2020. The plea was “blind,” meaning there was no agreement on a sentence and she could have received anywhere from probation up to 14 years behind bars.

Rescue workers responded to Vanduker’s home on Sept. 21, 2020, on a report of an unresponsive baby. The baby girl was taken off life support three days later and pronounced dead. Initially, the mother told police the child had choked on a waffle, according to court records.

After the child’s death and upon learning that rescue workers found no evidence of food, Vanduker admitted to police that she had grown “frustrated and tired” with trying to get the baby to lie down with her on the couch.

She put a blanket around the little girl and held her head tightly to her chest until the baby stopped squirming, according to court records. Vanduker claimed that she dozed off and awoke a short time later to find the infant unresponsive.

Vanduker is required to serve at least half of her sentence as the charge of involuntary manslaughter allows for day-for-day “good-time” credit to apply if an inmate complies with all the rules.

Friday’s hearing was moved up a week to accommodate for her pregnancy, Johnson said. She had been free on bond until March when she was charged with aggravated battery for striking a medical worker. That case is set for a review on Aug. 22.