DeKALB | Prosecutors were considering seeking the death penalty against William Curl, the DeKalb man accused of murdering NIU student Antinette Keller. But that is no longer the case.

On Wednesday, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law a bill that abolished the death penalty in Illinois. The law also commuted 15 death row inmates sentences to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

State’s Attorney Clay Campbell said he disagreed with the death penalty in general. The state had 120 days to decide if it wanted to pursue the death penalty in the Curl trial.

Campbell said he wanted to further view the evidence before dealing with Curl’s case.

NIU law professor Lorraine Schmall said it costs more money to use the death penalty on someone than to keep them in jail.

“I’m an abolitionist,” she said. “I am not unbiased. I also think it makes a lot of sense because the people of Illinois have expended an enormous amount of money death penalty error proofing.”

Those who were on death row had a second chance to appeal their sentence. They received a post-conviction petition. With this petition their case can be brought to the U.S. Court of Appeals.

With that, new evidence is brought in that was not looked at before and it becomes a part of the case.

Markeyia Smith, senior child development major, said she disagreed with Quinn’s decision.

“What else are they doing with the money?” Smith said. “They’re being funded anyway. We pay taxes all the time and they’re not fixing the streets or making Illinois better.”

Schmall said she used to represent those sentenced to the death penalty. To have and get a post-conviction petition costs money, and that is where most of the money goes, Schmall said.

The NIU Police Department declined to comment on the matter.