The City Settles

EAST MOLINE, Ill. — Harli Quinn, who previously went by Cory Gregory, is set to receive a $50,000 settlement from the state of Illinois in a civil rights lawsuit.

Quinn pleaded guilty to the murder of Adrianne Reynolds and has been in prison for 21 years. She is set to receive the settlement in a lawsuit filed against the state, which alleges the Illinois Department of Corrections improperly housed her in a men’s prison after she transitioned.

The complaint claims Quinn suffered violent attacks and emotional abuse from both other prisoners and prison staff.

Tony Reynolds, Adrianne’s father, said he received a letter Sunday informing him of the settlement.

“He don’t wanna be with the men, apparently, don’t wanna be with the women or vice versa, so they gave him a cell of his own,” Reynolds said. “It’s not a hotel, so it’s solitary confinement, and he doesn’t like that either, apparently. So he’s suing the people at the prison for how they treated him, is what you’re saying. Boo hoo. As far as deserving, I believe he deserves everything he gets for what he’s done. I give him credit. He keeps on plugging on.”

It is not clear in 20-year-old court records whether a restitution order was entered at the time of the murder conviction, which could require the settlement money to be turned over to Adrianne’s parents.

Reynolds said he remains skeptical about whether restitution will apply, but said he would be willing to give the money back to the community.

“What I’d do with it, I mean, I got several things I’d do with it,” Reynolds said. “We’ve done a lot for Black Hawk Outreach Center. I’d talk to Adrianne’s mom. There would be a lot of good places that could help. I mean, if it happens, it happens, and I’ll deal with it then. But if it happens, it’ll surprise me.”

The Reynolds family has worked to honor Adrianne’s legacy through a scholarship that helps students at the Black Hawk College Outreach Center pay for GED testing. They estimate hundreds of students have benefited.

Quinn has a resentencing hearing scheduled for June 10 and was originally sentenced to a combined 45 years in prison.