Former Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has reduced the 75-year prison sentence for a central Illinois man convicted in 1996 of fatally shooting his grandparents.
Rauner granted the reduction Friday for 38-year-old Jon Morgan, who confessed at age 14 to killing Lila and Keith Cearlock in Lincoln. Morgan received 58 years for first-degree murder in Lila's death and 17 years for second-degree murder in Keith's death. Morgan was ordered to serve the terms consecutively but Rauner said the terms should be concurrent, reducing the sentence to 58 years.
Morgan was tried as an adult. According to court testimony, Morgan killed the Cearlocks because of a dispute over school detention. But Morgan said during trial that he was emotionally and physically abused.
Morgan previously has unsuccessfully appealed to have his sentence reduced.
