The Earl Moore Jr. case is the Springfield, Illinois, prosecution of two LifeStar ambulance EMTs, Peter Cadigan and Peggy Finley, who were charged with first-degree murder after strapping the 35-year-old face-down on a stretcher during a December 18, 2022, medical call, a restraint the county coroner ruled caused his death by compressional and positional asphyxia. Cadigan pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced in June 2026 to probation with no additional jail time. Finley’s murder charge is still pending. Moore’s family also reached an undisclosed wrongful death settlement with LifeStar.
What Happened on December 18, 2022
Springfield police were sent to a home on North 11th Street in the early morning hours after a caller reported firearms inside. Once officers arrived, someone in the house told them Moore was hallucinating from alcohol withdrawal and needed medical help. Officers called for an ambulance.
Around 2:18 a.m., LifeStar EMTs Peter Cadigan and Peggy Finley arrived and were let in by police. Body-camera footage later released to the public showed Finley telling Moore to “sit up” and to “quit acting stupid.”1EMS1. Video Is Deeply Disturbing: Patient Care Murder Moore could not walk, and family attorneys said the EMTs gave him no physical assistance. On the video, he can be heard gasping that he could not breathe.
The EMTs placed Moore face-down on the stretcher and tightened straps across his back. He was pronounced dead at the hospital at 3:14 a.m.2NBC Chicago. Two Illinois EMS Workers Charged With Murder After Strapping Patient Face-Down on Stretcher
Autopsy and Homicide Ruling
Forensic pathologist Dr. Scott Denton determined the cause of death to be “compressional and positional asphyxia due to prone face-down restraint on a paramedic transportation cot/stretcher by tightened straps across the back.”3SIU Medicine. SIU Medicine Releases Statement on Death of Earl Moore Jr. The autopsy also documented rib fractures and cuts on Moore’s knees, fingers, and foot.4Firefighter Close Calls. Update: Body Cam Footage of Two EMS Workers Charged With Murder Released Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon classified the death as a homicide.
The Criminal Charges and Where Each Defendant Stands
On January 10, 2023, the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office, then under Dan Wright, charged Cadigan, 50, and Finley, 44, with first-degree murder.5NPR Illinois. EMS Worker Sentenced to Probation in the Death of Earl Moore Jr.6Illinois Times. EMT Charged With Murder Sentenced7WAND-TV. EMS Workers Accused of Killing Earl Moore Jr. Will Be Tried Separately
Cadigan’s Guilty Plea and Probation Sentence
In April 2026, Cadigan pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter.8NewsChannel 20. Cadigan Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter in Death of Earl Moore Jr. On June 23, 2026, Sangamon County Circuit Judge Robin Schmidt sentenced him to 24 months of probation, 100 hours of community service, and 180 days in the Sangamon County Jail. Because he had already served about 295 days in custody after his arrest, he owed no additional jail time. He also received a lifetime ban from working in healthcare and remains a convicted felon.9EMS1. Former Ill. EMT Gets Probation in 2022 Patient Death
Special Prosecutor Dion asked for the maximum five years in prison, saying it would “send a strong message” to healthcare professionals. Defense attorney Justin Kuehn argued for probation. Judge Schmidt said that under Illinois law, probation is the presumptive sentence for involuntary manslaughter unless it would diminish the seriousness of the crime, and because Cadigan had no prior criminal history she found probation appropriate.6Illinois Times. EMT Charged With Murder Sentenced Cadigan apologized to the family and said the case would “haunt him for the rest of his life.” He has since lost his medical license and was reported to be working in landscaping.10NewsChannel 20. Family Questions Justice After Probation Sentence in Earl Moore Jr. Death
Finley’s Case Is Still Open
Peggy Finley’s first-degree murder charge remains pending. As of late June 2026, she was expected in court the following month.5NPR Illinois. EMS Worker Sentenced to Probation in the Death of Earl Moore Jr.
How the Family Reacted to the Sentence
Moore’s relatives said the probation sentence was not justice. The sentencing hearing ran more than four hours. His mother, Rose Washington, told the court, “He was still my son. He was still a person. He still had value,” and said Cadigan would get to see his own son again while she would never see hers.11Fox Illinois. Former EMS Worker Gets Probation in Earl Moore Jr.’s Death After Emotional Victim Impact His niece Bree Moore told Cadigan directly, “You ruined my family and my uncle did not deserve that.”10NewsChannel 20. Family Questions Justice After Probation Sentence in Earl Moore Jr. Death
Family advocate Teresa Haley said relatives were “hurt, pissed, and disappointed” and felt their victim impact statements had been “a waste of time.” Some family members were heard shouting as they left the courtroom that Cadigan had “got away with murder.”10NewsChannel 20. Family Questions Justice After Probation Sentence in Earl Moore Jr. Death Jennifer Hightower, an attorney representing Moore’s sisters, told the court his struggles “didn’t make him any less deserving of compassion, dignity and humanity.”11Fox Illinois. Former EMS Worker Gets Probation in Earl Moore Jr.’s Death After Emotional Victim Impact
The Wrongful Death Lawsuit and Settlement
In January 2023, Moore’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against LifeStar Ambulance Services, Cadigan, and Finley. They retained civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Bob Hilliard along with local attorney Sam Cahnman. Crump described the strategy as pursuing “criminal culpability and civil accountability” for “whole justice.” Hilliard used the case to push for mandatory body cameras on EMS workers and inside ambulances, arguing that police body-camera footage was pivotal to the investigation.12NPR Illinois. Moore Family Hires Attorney Ben Crump, Files Civil Suit The family later received an undisclosed settlement from LifeStar.6Illinois Times. EMT Charged With Murder Sentenced
What Happened to LifeStar
LifeStar, the private ambulance company that employed both EMTs, was pushed out of the Springfield 911 system in the years after Moore’s death. In August 2025, Springfield Memorial Hospital placed LifeStar on a performance improvement plan citing expired medicine supplies, documentation errors, and deviations from the standard of care, and when the company did not fully comply, the hospital’s EMS review board voted to remove it from the network.13Illinois Times. LifeStar Ambulance Fights Suspension
LifeStar’s participation in the Springfield EMS network was permanently terminated effective May 26, 2026, after appeals to the State Emergency Medical Services Disciplinary Review Board and a lawsuit against Springfield Memorial failed to stop the suspension. The termination ended its ability to respond to 911 calls in Sangamon County. Separately, the city of Springfield fined LifeStar $38,950 in May 2024 for failing to provide an adequate number of ambulances.14Springfield Business Journal. Springfield Slated to Lose Ambulance Provider LifeStar CEO John Wright has said the hospital did not cite the Moore case in its critique, though reporting noted the death had cast a shadow over the company’s reputation.13Illinois Times. LifeStar Ambulance Fights Suspension
The Body Camera Bill That Died in Committee
In February 2023, Illinois State Senator Doris Turner introduced Senate Bill 1306, directly inspired by Moore’s death. The bill would have required all EMS workers to wear body cameras during service calls and mandated dashboard cameras in ambulances, with recordings retained for at least six months. It was referred to the Senate Assignments Committee but never advanced, and its status was recorded as “Session Sine Die” when the 103rd General Assembly ended on January 7, 2025, meaning it died without a vote.15State Journal-Register. Illinois Sen. Turner Files Bill Requiring Body Cams for EMS Workers16LegiScan. SB1306 – Illinois 103rd General Assembly Civil rights organizations, the Springfield NAACP, Black Lives Matter Springfield, and the SIU School of Medicine also issued statements calling for reforms addressing racism and implicit bias in first-responder training.17National Urban League. Urban League Leaders Call for Reforms in Wake of Earl Moore Jr. Tragedy18WAND-TV. SIU Medicine Releases Statement on Death of Earl Moore Jr.
Who Earl Moore Jr. Was
Earl Lynn Moore Jr. was born on March 22, 1987, to Rosena Washington and the late Earl Lynn Moore Sr. He graduated from Lanphier High School in 2007 and worked as a manager at McDonald’s for 18 years.19Dr. Ruby Davis Funeral Home. Obituary for Earl L. Moore Jr. His family described him as shy, laid-back, and devoted to his mother and sisters. His mother, Rose Washington, and his sisters Chatara Moore, Mahogany Moore, and ShiKira Brooks have been central figures in the push for accountability since his death, wearing buttons with his photo and sharing stories about him at anniversaries and court proceedings.20WCIA. Family of Earl Moore Jr. Remembering His Life, Fighting for Justice One Year After His Death