* Senate GOP press release on May 26th…

The latest convicted felon released by the Prisoner Review Board is now a fugitive, leaving parole officers searching for the man that murdered a teenager, among other serious crimes. This news comes amid the growing concerns brought forth by Republican members of the Senate Executive Appointments Committee this week regarding a maneuver Governor Pritzker is using to allow his Prisoner Review Board appointees to serve on the board without ever being vetted by the Illinois Senate.

According to the Chicago Sun Times, Ray Larsen (Larson), who was released from prison earlier this month—a decision made by the Prisoner Review Board, showed up on state prison records as missing since Monday.

In a joint statement, State Senators Jason Plummer (R-Edwardsville), Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro), and Steve McClure (R-Springfield) released the following statement:

“Recent developments on Ray Larsen are exactly the reason why we can’t continue to allow individuals on the Prisoner Review Board to make these serious decisions without being properly vetted. We now have a potentially dangerous individual on the loose at the hands of unconfirmed Gov. Pritzker appointees. As members of the Senate Executive Appointments Committee, we again demand that these individuals come before the committee to testify so that they can undergo the proper and constitutionally-required process to ensure it is appropriate for them to continue serving on the Prisoner Review Board.”

* “Recaptured”…

* Um…

Early Friday, authorities found him at a Chicago-area hospital. Chicago police officers, state parole officers and deputy U.S. marshals had been on the lookout for him.

It’s unclear why Larsen was at a hospital or what he’d been doing the past week. A source said he might have been wandering around the city, riding the CTA.

Jason Sweat, an attorney for the prisoner review board, said Larsen was in Chicago police custody Friday night. He said the state will file papers saying he violated his parole, and the board will hold a hearing to decide whether to revoke his parole.

Emphasis added.