Tate Appears in Court on Request to Withdraw Guilty Plea in Deputy Riley Shooting

The confessed killer of a Wayne County sheriff's deputy last December is continuing his motion to withdraw his guilty plea.

Ray Tate pleaded guilty in March to fatally shooting Deputy Sean Riley along I-64, then taking the squad car as part of a multi-county, two-state crime spree that same day.

Tate has filed a handwritten motion to withdraw the guilty plea, saying he was coerced into pleading guilty, that he was the victim of ineffective counsel, and that he was not mentally competent to enter the plea.

A Zoom hearing to consider the filing took place last week. Another hearing is set for September 15.

Tate remains in Menard Correctional Center in Chester. He has attempted escape from two other facilities, once while being held in the Riley shooting incident, and another time in an unrelated case.