Died in prison
Matthew Hrecko
Matthew Hrecko was held in an Illinois prison and had applied for medical release in 2023. His sister, Joy Martin, says he was told by phone that he was going home, and that the board later denied his release without anyone explaining the decision to her or to him. He died in custody on November 19, 2023, and Martin says she has received no response to her letter to the governor. She remembers their childhood friendship and the way their relationship was rebuilt through letters and visits, and she plans to scatter his ashes in Shawnee National Forest, as he asked before he could no longer speak.
Cause of death, as reported: Cause not yet determined