Nearly $1,700 Raised For Slain Woman's Funeral Costs, Still a Long Way to Go

The family of a young woman allegedly strangled to death by her husband has seen an outpouring of generosity from the community, but is still a long way from covering the money they borrowed to pay for her unexpected funeral.

A Go Fund Me page set up to pay back the money for 22-year-old Laura Gonzalez’s funeral raised $1,690 in just four days — but the family needs $14,000.

Gonzalez, 22, was strangled to death by her husband, 27-year-old Cesar Garcia, police said. Officers reportedly found Garcia in bed with his wife’s lifeless body. Garcia, who a source said was in a drug-induced stupor, was taken to Presence St. Joseph Medical Center. Once he was coherent enough to communicate, he confessed to strangling his wife to death, police said.

Just two months ago, Garcia was arrested for allegedly battering Gonzalez. As a condition of his bond, he was forbidden from coming within 1,000 feet of her or their Crest Hill home.

As he choked the life out of his wife, Garcia told her, “If I can’t have you, no one will,” a prosecutor said during the alleged killer’s first court appearance.

Gonzalez had no life insurance and her family was not prepared to cover the costs of her funeral, her brother, Jose R. Reyes said.

Gonzalez had hoped to become a federal agent, or to pursue a career in some other field of law enforcement, Reyes said.

“I always encouraged her to get back to school,” he said, “but she never had the opportunity to fulfill her dream.”