Inset: Earl Moore Jr. (Facebook). Background: News footage of Peter Cadigan in court for his sentencing on June 23 (WAND).
In a controversial case, an Illinois man has been spared additional prison time after acknowledging his role in the tragic death of a patient he was supposed to help.
Fifty-three-year-old Peter Cadigan received a sentence of two years of probation following his guilty plea to involuntary manslaughter in relation to the 2022 death of Earl Moore Jr., aged 35. Initially charged with first-degree murder alongside 48-year-old Peggy Finley, Cadigan faced these charges after prosecutors claimed they strapped Moore face-down to a gurney, leading to his suffocation. As previously reported by Law&Crime, Moore was experiencing hallucinations during alcohol detox when Cadigan and Finley, both LifeStar ambulance EMTs, were called to his Springfield, Illinois residence on December 18, 2022.
Prosecutors stated that after police helped position Moore on the gurney, Finley and Cadigan excessively tightened restraints across his back and lower body, leaving him face-down. This positioning resulted in Moore’s unfortunate death from “compressional and positional asphyxia.” Both former EMTs were notably seasoned professionals in emergency medical services.
In body camera video obtained by Law&Crime, police officers are seen walking Moore out of his home to a gurney waiting outside. The officers lift Moore onto the gurney, where he ends up on his side. Cadigan then repositioned him face down before strapping Moore down. Finley is seen placing a blanket over Moore, and both she and Cadigan continued to strap Moore down.
Cadigan pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in April. During the hearing on Tuesday, he was sentenced to 24 months of probation and 100 hours of community service. He was ordered not to work in the healthcare field. He received credit for 180 days served in the county jail.
Finley’s case is still open. Her trial was continued to Aug. 24.