Woman receives prison sentence in connection with fatal Woodstock overdose

A 43-year-old woman was sentenced to prison Thursday in connection with a Woodstock woman’s 2019 overdose death.

Samantha Hagler, formerly of Wisconsin, received a four-year prison sentence for a single count of delivering a controlled substance.

Prosecutors allege that another man, Alexander Rulford, provided Hagler with crack cocaine in April 2019. Hagler then gave a portion of that cocaine to Valerie Underwood, who on April 16, 2019, died as a result, prosecutors said.

Hagler pleaded guilty to delivery of a controlled substance on June 23. In exchange, the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office dismissed additional charges, including drug-induced homicide.

Rulford is charged with drug-induced homicide and possession of a controlled substance in connection with Underwood’s death. He additionally is charged with residential burglary and theft after police say he stole a TV from Underwood’s home that day.

On April 16, 2019, the Woodstock Police Department received a call from Underwood’s friend reporting that she’d found the woman dead in Underwood’s Silver Creek apartment in the 1500 block of North Seminary Avenue.

The caller said a child, believed to be about 2 years old, was “underneath her,” police said at the time.

When officers arrived they found Underwood’s body and the woman’s toddler, who survived.

“She had her 2-year-old and that 2-year-old almost died,” McHenry County Assistant State’s Attorney Kyle Bruett said at Thursday’s sentencing hearing.

While arguing for a prison sentence, Bruett emphasized that Hagler on two occasions tested positive for cocaine while she was out on bond.

“What’s clear is that when she’s out of custody, she’s using cocaine,” Bruett said.

Hagler tested positive for cocaine in September and October 2020, while she was barred from consuming drugs or alcohol as a condition of her bond, court records show.

Hagler gave a tearful statement on her own behalf Thursday, during which she asked to be placed on probation so she may continue receiving substance abuse and mental health treatment. Although Hagler has gone through substance abuse treatment in the past, she said she is only now she beginning to address traumatic childhood experiences that may be at the root of her addiction.

“I’m just hoping for the chance to prove that I can be a better person,” Hagler said.

A mother herself, Hagler said it has been particularly painful to know that Underwood’s child will grow up without her mother.

“I understand me saying sorry doesn’t bring her back,” Hagler said. “This is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”

The woman’s attorney, Special Public Defender Thomas Carroll, also recommended that Hagler be placed on house arrest with strict conditions as an alternative to a prison sentence.

“The fact is that jail alone isn’t the answer,” Carroll said. “It’s a temporary stop-gap, but it isn’t a solution.”

Although several of Hagler’s family members and friends testified that she appears to be making progress toward her recovery, McHenry County Judge Robert Wilbrandt noted that he gave Hagler several opportunities to receive treatment and attain sobriety while free on bond.

“I also believe there’s a good chance that because she was incarcerated she’s still here today,” Wilbrandt said.

Hagler will serve her sentence at 50% and will receive credit for any time that she already has spent at the McHenry County Jail. Wilbrandt recommended that Hagler be placed in a prison with the resources to continue her substance abuse treatment, but that determination ultimately is up to the Illinois Department of Corrections.