Springfield: Former EMS Worker Peter Cadigan Sentenced to Probation in Death of Earl Moore Jr.
Former Springfield EMS worker Peter Cadigan was sentenced to two years probation and 100 hours community service in the 2022 death of Earl Moore Jr., who died from positional asphyxia after being strapped face down on a stretcher.
A mother's testimony and a five-hour hearing
A former Springfield EMS worker who helped strap a patient face down on a stretcher was sentenced to two years of probation Tuesday night. The patient, Earl Moore Jr., a 35-year-old Black man, died from positional asphyxia during the transport in December 2022.
Peter Cadigan learned his sentence just before 7 p.m. in Sangamon County court. The sentencing hearing lasted more than five hours, according to WICS/WRSP.
"I wonder if he knew how much he was loved. Those questions will stay with me for the rest of my life," said Rose Washington, Moore's mother, through tears in court.
Washington told the judge that Cadigan would get to see his son again. She said she would never get to see hers again, according to the State Journal-Register.
What happened that night
A family member called 911 in December 2022 after Moore began experiencing a hallucinatory episode, according to authorities. Police determined it was a medical emergency and called EMS.
Cadigan and his co-worker, Peggy Finley, responded to the call. Both were employees of LifeStar EMS at the time.
Body camera and EMS video showed the two workers strapping Moore face down on a medical stretcher and restraining him across his back, according to the WSIU report. Moore was dead by the time he arrived at a local hospital.
The coroner ruled the cause of death to be compressional and positional asphyxia, according to the Sangamon County coroner's report as cited by multiple outlets.
From murder charges to manslaughter plea
Cadigan and Finley were both charged with first-degree murder in January 2023, according to the State Journal-Register. Both were fired by LifeStar EMS.
Cadigan pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in April 2026, according to WICS. Finley's case continues. She is expected in court again next month, according to WSIU.
The sentence
A judge sentenced Cadigan to:
- Two years of probation
- 100 hours of community service
- 180 days in jail, with credit for the 295 days he already served
Cadigan is now a convicted felon, according to WAND-TV. He is also barred from working as a healthcare worker, according to the same report.
Before the sentence was announced, Cadigan addressed Moore's family with an apology, according to WICS.
"You may have killed our brother, but you did not kill his memory," Moore's sisters said in their victim impact statement, read by attorney Jennifer Hightower, an associate with civil rights attorney Ben Crump's team.
Hightower told the court that Moore was not perfect but still deserved respect, according to the report.
Community reaction
Cadigan's attorney said he was relieved his client received probation and did not have to return to jail, according to WICS.
The case drew national attention after civil rights attorney Ben Crump and Bob Hilliard took on the case, according to the National Urban League. Urban League leaders called for reforms to address racism in emergency and medical services at the time.
The LifeStar Ambulance company fought a suspension of its services after the incident, according to the Springfield Business Journal and Illinois Times.
Cadigan said the case would haunt him for the rest of his life, according to WICS.