George Ryan Jr., son of former Gov. George Ryan, helps his mother, Lura Lynn Ryan, as she returns home in Kankakee after a federal court denied a petition for the release of her husband on Dec. 21 ...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan, disgraced by a corruption scandal that landed him in prison yet heralded by some for clearing the state’s death row, has died. He was 91.

George Ryan not only left his family behind, but countless friends all across Illinois. For me personally, he was both a mentor and a great friend," he said in a statement.

Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan, who put a moratorium on executions in 2000 and later commuted the death sentences of more than 160 inmates before leaving office, died on May 2. He was 91.

George Homer Ryan was born in Maquoketa, Iowa, on Feb. 23, 1934, and grew up in Kankakee. After serving in the Army, he married his high school sweetheart Lura Lynn Lowe in 1956 and followed his ...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan, disgraced by a corruption scandal that landed him in prison yet heralded by some for clearing the state’s death row, has died. He was 91 ...