A Hopkinsville man who pled guilty to shooting and killing an Illinois deputy sheriff has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Ray Tate, 40, was originally charged with 36 counts, including first-degree murder, aggravated vehicle hijacking and felony possession of a firearm, pled guilty to the one count of first-degree murder last month in the slaying of Wayne County (IL) Deputy Sheriff Sean Riley in December 2021.
In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped the other charges.
Riley had responded to a motorist assist call on December 29 and was found dead a short time later by another officer who had arrived at the scene. Riley’s squad car was found abandoned on I-64 in eastern Illinois.
Tate was arrested that afternoon at a home in nearby Carlyle where he committed a home invasion and took the homeowner hostage.
Tate still faces charges in connection with various crimes he allegedly committed the same day in Missouri. He also could face charges in Jefferson and Wayne counties for allegedly trying to escape this month from the Jefferson County Jail.
(Photo l-r: Deputy Sean Riley, convicted murderer Ray Tate)
By Ken Howlett, News Director and the Associated Press
