SPRINGFIELD, ILL. -- After spending months consulting with prosecutors, victims' families, death penalty opponents and religious leaders, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has abolished the state's death penalty.
The Democrat signed historic legislation Wednesday abandoning capital punishment, two months after Illinois lawmakers voted to do the same and more than a decade after former Gov. George Ryan imposed a moratorium because of concern that innocent people could be put to death.
Quinn also commuted the sentences of 15 death row inmates to life without parole. The governor said he followed his conscience. He said he believed in signing the bill he also should "abolish the death penalty for everyone," including those already on death row. "Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history," Quinn told reporters afterward. “I think it’s the right, just thing to abolish the death penalty.” Click here to read more from the Chicago Tribune.
One of the 15 death row inmates to receive life without parole from Gov. Quinn Wednesday was Dan Ramsey.
You'll remember us talking about Ramsey, who was twice convicted and sentenced to death in the state of Illinois. KHQA's Chad Douglas spoke with Bill Sloop back in January, the father of a 12-year-old that was murdered in Hancock County back in 1996 by Ramsey. "I think it's injustice. Illinois needs to keep capital punishment," said Bill Sloop.
Today, Lonna Sloop's mother, Barbara Sloop said, "We're not happy with it, but we have to deal with it." She also said it makes her and her family feel better that Dan Ramsey won't get out of prison, but she doesn't like the fact that our tax dollars will pay to support Ramsey for the rest of his life.
It's been almost 15 years since those brutal deaths of both 16-year-old Laura Marson of Basco, and Bill Sloop's daughter Lonna. Three other people were also shot by this man Dan Ramsey. He was convicted and sentenced to death in 1997, but a technicality granted Ramsey a re-trial in 2007. Again, he was convicted and sentenced to death. Since 2000, Illinois has not put anyone to death, so Dan Ramsey is currently still in jail.
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"I am equally as disappointed as when the legislation passed. I opposed it, mainly because we tied the hands of law enforcement. It was a very effective tool in a lot of situations for law enforcement to actually be able to locate a victim or locate a body, and I think it's unfortunate that we, as a state, have not upheld that ability for law enforcement."
- Statement issued by Ill. Rep. Norinne Hammond
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"Obviously, I voted against abolishing the death penalty, so obviously it did not go the way that I wanted it to."
Senator Sullivan said he made his decision on how to vote on this issue after speaking to a lot of people in his district, including law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and family members of crime victims.
Even though Sullivan voted against abolishing the death penalty, he believes its use should be rare and only for the most heinous of crime in which there is no doubt as to guilt. The senator also said he had hoped Governor Quinn would stick to his campaign promise not to ban the death penalty.
- From the office of Ill. Senator John Sullivan
Illinois now joins 15 other states that have done away with the death penalty. The new law takes effect July 1.
KHQA will bring you more details, so check this story later and watch KHQA's News at Five, KHQA's Evening News at 6 p.m. and KHQA's Late News at 10 p.m.
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