Convicted murderer Ray E. Tate, who is serving a life sentence for the 2021 killing of Wayne County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Riley, has been transferred from an Illinois maximum-security prison to an undisclosed correctional facility outside the state.
The transfer comes just days after the Illinois Fifth District Appellate Court upheld Tate’s conviction and life sentence for the December 29, 2021, murder of Deputy Riley.
Officials with the Illinois Department of Corrections confirmed that Tate was moved from Menard Correctional Center in Chester to an out-of-state prison through the Department of Corrections Interstate Compact.
However, officials have not disclosed Tate’s new location or indicated whether a specific incident prompted the transfer.
Tate has a documented history of escape attempts and has long been considered a significant escape risk.
In September 2005, while being held at the Caldwell Correctional Center in Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina, Tate and four other inmates overpowered correctional officers, held them at knifepoint and escaped in a stolen truck.
Tate, who was using the alias Gary Moudy, was captured several hours later after authorities confirmed his identity.
More recently, on March 9, 2022, Tate attempted to escape from the Jefferson County Jail in Mt. Vernon, where he was being held while awaiting trial for Riley’s murder.
During that incident, Tate managed to get out of his cell and reach the jail’s kitchen area before authorities stopped the escape attempt.
Investigators had also previously uncovered communications between Tate and friends and relatives concerning plans for an escape.
According to authorities, Tate had requested firearms, cutting tools and transportation to assist in the effort. Those requests reportedly included an assault rifle and a shotgun.
The latest prison transfer follows the appellate court’s decision to uphold Tate’s conviction and sentence, leaving his life sentence in place.
Illinois Department of Corrections officials have not indicated whether Tate’s history of escape attempts played a role in the decision to move him.
Tate will continue serving his sentence in a maximum-security correctional facility outside Illinois.