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A third Illinois prison guard has now been sentenced for his role in a violent assault that left an inmate dead.
Willie Hedden was sentenced in federal court in Springfield to six years behind bars on charges of civil rights deprivation and obstruction of justice.
Hedden and two other guards were charged with attacking inmate Larry Earvin while he was restrained and handcuffed behind his back as they were transporting him to a segregation unit at the Western Illinois Correctional Center.
Two other guards, Todd Sheffler and Alex Banta, each received 20-year sentences earlier this month. Federal prosecutors say unlike the other two, Hedden took responsibility for his actions by pleading guilty and expressing remorse, which they say justified a shorter sentence.
