Sheriff opposes clemency petition for Illinois man convicted of 1992 double murder

STEPHENSON COUNTY, Ill. (WTVO) — The Stephenson County Sheriff is urging the Illinois Department of Corrections to deny a clemency petition filed by convicted killer Ronald Burt, 58.

Burt was initially sentenced to death for his role in the 1992 murders of Kevin Muto and Steven Roy in Kent, Illinois.

According to court records, on January 16th, 1992, Burt, along with David Craig and then 14-year-old Dannie Booth went to Roy’s farm to collect money that was owed Booth.

Burt shot Roy, 48, after an argument and killed Muto, an 18-year-old farmhand, when Muto arrived at the door, alerted by the commotion.

Burt’s sentence was commuted to a life sentence by former Illinois Gov. George Ryan.

“These brutal crimes devastated families and left a permanent scar on our community,” Sheriff Steve Stovall said in a formal letter to the Department of Corrections. “The life sentence imposed is both appropriate and necessary. Granting clemency would only compound the pain endured by the victim’s loved ones.”

Stovall said Muto’s 84-year-old mother, Helen Muto, has “been forced to relive her son’s murder each time Burt petitions for clemency.”

“Clemency exists to correct extraordinary injustices or recognize true rehabilitation,” Sheriff Stovall said. “In this case, neither standard has been met. The severity of the offense, the lasting impact on the families, and the prior commutation all demonstrate that clemency is neither warranted nor just.”