A Peoria County judge has sentenced a convicted murderer who was part of the state's secret early release program to life in prison for killing a Chicago woman and severely injuring her 8-month-old granddaughter.

Peoria County Circuit Judge Steve Kouri sentenced 41-year-old Edjuan Payne on Friday. Payne was serving time for criminal damage to property when he got out in fall 2009 under the early release program. He was reincarcerated in January 2010 for violating parole, but the Prisoner Review Board freed him two and a half months later.

Payne was convicted of killing 41-year-old Orvette Davis just months later, in May 2010. Prosecutors described the crime as "unimaginable."

Davis' daughter, Lattina Gaston, says she is "satisfied knowing he can never get out."