Two Illinois emergency medical workers charged with murder of patient

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
13 Jan 17:20

Earl L. Moore Jr. died on December 18 in Springfield, shortly after EMS workers put him facedown onto a stretcher.

An image from a police body camera shows EMS workers loading Earl L. Moore Jr. into an ambulance on Dec. 18. (Sangamon County Government)

Two Illinois EMS employees have been charged with murder in the death of a 35-year-old man while in their care after they strapped him facedown on a stretcher.

Peter Cadigan, 50, and Peggy Finley, 44, both LifeStar emergency medical technicians, were charged with first-degree murder in the death of Earl L. Moore Jr. on December 18, as per Sangamon County State's Attorney Dan Wright.

Moore died after being placed in an ambulance in a prone position, which means facedown, with restraints on his back and lower body to keep him on the stretcher, according to Wright.

Around 2 am, police arrived at a home on North 11th Street in Springfield, the state capital, after receiving a complaint about persons inside with firearms. When officers arrived, a homeowner reported that the person who called 911 was experiencing "hallucinations due to alcohol withdrawal," according to a police press release.

Officers discovered Moore and "immediately concluded that the patient was in need of medical help," police reported.

At 2:18 am, an ambulance arrived.

Moore was told to walk to the ambulance by a female paramedic, but body camera video released Tuesday indicated he "was not able to walk and the medical professionals were not given any assistance," according to police.

Moore was assisted by three police officers through the house and onto a stretcher outside.

According to officer body camera footage, EMS staff placed Moore on a stretcher in a prone posture.

Moore died at the hospital around 3:14 am on Tuesday, according to Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon.

Moore died as a result of compressional and positional asphyxia caused by "prone face-down restraint on a paramedic transportation cot/stretcher by tightened straps across the back," the autopsy showed.

His death was described as a homicide.

After learning of Moore's death, Chief Ken Scarlette requested an independent inquiry by the Illinois State Police.

Wright stated that he filed first-degree murder charges against Cadigan and Finley based on the findings of the continuing ISP investigation and the autopsy report.

They were being held in the Sangamon County jail on $1 million bail each.

If convicted, they risk 20 to 60 years in prison, according to Wright. It was unclear whether they had legal representation.