Naperville woman convicted in 1999 murder of 3 kids speaks out, seeks clemency: report

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — It was a crime that shocked Chicago. In 1999, an affluent, married mother of three murdered her children in west suburban Naperville. 

Nicholas was seven. Emily was six. Thomas was just three years old when Marilyn Lemak drugged her children, then smothered them before attempting – and failing – to take her own life. 

Lemak is serving a life sentence and has never granted an interview to a local news reporter. 

Former Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn, who now writes for the Picayune Sentinel on Substack, changed that, spending nearly an hour talking to the convict.

Why did she decide to speak now?

WGN News spoke to Zorn about the interview and the revelations made, including Lemak’s desire to be granted clemency by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.  

Watch the full interview in the video player above.