Ray Tate, convicted for the murder of Wayne County Deputy Sean Riley, appeared via Zoom in Clinton County Circuit Court in Carlyle last Wednesday to continue his attempt to retract his guilty plea. Tate claims he was forced into pleading guilty to multiple charges of aggravated kidnapping and armed violence, which stem from his apprehension near Carlyle following the murder.
The hearing, lasting under two minutes, saw Tate’s court-appointed attorney, Van-Lear P. Eckert, successfully request to withdraw a previous motion. This earlier motion aimed to allow Tate to retract his guilty plea and vacate his sentence. The judge granted Eckert permission to file an amended motion for the same purpose and scheduled a review hearing for May 14th.
Currently, Tate is serving a life sentence without parole for Deputy Riley’s murder on December 29th, 2021, in addition to a 30-year sentence for the aggravated kidnapping and weapons charges. He will remain at the Menard Penitentiary in Chester pending the May 14th hearing, which will also be held via Zoom meeting.
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