ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — On Wednesday, March 9, a judge will consider giving Cory Gregory a shortened prison sentence for his role in the 2005 death of Adrianne Reynolds.
In 2006, Gregory pleaded guilty to being involved in her murder, and he and codefendant Sarah Kolb were convicted for murdering their 16-year-old classmate before burning and dismembering her body. Gregory was given a 45-year sentence, and Kolb was given 53 years.
The Illinois State Supreme court ruled in 2019 that when a juvenile is given a sentence of more than 40 years, it's considered a de facto life sentence. That means a person would spend most - if not all - of his or her life behind bars. The court ruled, in order to give a juvenile a de facto life sentence, additional factors must be taken into consideration.
Gregory and Kolb filed appeals in 2020 to have their prison sentences reconsidered. Kolb was denied, and a judge said Kolb was a "cold and callous person who cannot be rehabilitated." Gregory's request for a resentencing, however, was approved.
Gregory's sentence was vacated, and Gregory was moved from Statesville to the Rock Island County Jail as he awaited a new sentencing hearing. One of the requirements when giving a de facto life sentence is a psych evaluation. That evaluation was ordered for Gregory in June to get a better understanding of where Gregory's mental state may have been 17 years ago and where he is now.
Barnard said a psychiatrist's testimony will be given Wednesday during the resentencing hearing, and the evaluation will give "an imperfect look in the rearview mirror."
A judge will then have the final say on what Gregory's sentence will be.
"(Wednesday) is the day we close the Cory book," Adrianne's stepmother Joanna said of the hearing that has been postponed multiple times. "(Wednesday), we let Adrianne rest in peace."
Kolb filed for clemency with the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. Her case is being considered and is on the board's April docket. Ultimately, Gov. J.B. Pritzker will have the final say on whether she will be pardoned or whether her sentence will be reduced.