Man spared the death penalty for murder dies in prison at 74

PONTIAC, Ill. (AP) - A 74-year-old man initially sentenced to death for killing a central Illinois woman in 1983 has died in prison.

Patrick Wright died on May 5 at the prison in Pontiac. The Herald & Review in Decatur (http://bit.ly/2t71gbi ) says he had heart failure, emphysema and other health problems.

Wright was convicted of killing Carol Specht and attacking her daughter at their apartment in Mattoon. His death sentence was overturned by a federal judge. Before he could be sentenced again in 2004, Illinois Gov. George Ryan commuted all death sentences to life in prison or a term of years.

Specht was 44 years old at the time of her death. She was founder of the Coles County Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

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Information from: Herald & Review, http://www.herald-review.com