Illinois sheriff retiring after deputy he hired was charged with murder for shooting Sonya Massey

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois — An Illinois sheriff who hired the deputy charged in the death of Sonya Massey announced Friday that he is retiring, five weeks after the 36 year old black woman was fatally shot in her home.

Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell, who won the office in 2018, said politics got in the way of his effectiveness as sheriff and suggested he and his family had received death threats. Campbell, a 30-year veteran of the department, had previously said He had “no intention of resigning.”

“We must honor Sonya Massey’s life by ensuring that no one else is victimized by such a tragic and senseless act. That has been my sincere mission since that fateful day,” Campbell said in a statement. “However, it has become clear that the current political climate has made it nearly impossible for me to continue effectively in my role.”

Campbell, 60, a Republican, said he would resign from office by Aug. 31.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, this week demanded that Campbell step aside, saying he had not answered questions about how Sean Grayson became a deputy in the central Illinois county where the state capital of Springfield is located. Grayson, 30, was fired after he was indicted on murder and other charges in the July 6 murder of Massey.

Earlier, Massey’s father, James Wilburn, called Campbell “a disgrace” and called on him to quit.

Grayson, who is white, has denied the charges. His attorney previously declined to comment on the case.

Authorities said two officers went to her home in Springfield, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southwest of Chicago, after Massey called 911 to report a suspected burglar.

Sheriff’s Bodycam Video Released July 22 confirmed prosecutors’ earlier account of the tense moment when Grayson shouted over a kitchen counter at Massey to put down a pot of hot water. When he then threatened to shoot the unarmed woman, Massey ducked and stood up briefly, and Grayson fired his gun at her. Massey was shot three times, including a fatal shot to the head.

Massey was killed by a bullet that entered her just below her left eye, according to autopsy findings. These findings confirmed information previously released by Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon, including the finding that Massey’s death was a homicide.

When Grayson was fired, Campbell said it was clear the deputy officer “did not act as trained or in accordance with our standards.”

Campbell said at a Justice Department hearing on July 29 that he would not resign but asked for forgiveness from Massey’s mother, saying, “I make no apologies.”

“We failed. We didn’t do our job. We failed Sonya. We failed Sonya’s family and friends,” Campbell said with emotion at Union Baptist Church in Springfield, The (Springfield) State Journal-Register reported.

Illinois police documents show Grayson’s police career began with six jobs in four yearsThat career included brief stints as a part-time officer with three small police departments and a full-time position with a fourth department, in addition to working full-time with two sheriff’s offices, all in central Illinois.

Before Grayson started his police career, he was discharged from the army for the first of two drunken driving convictions in which he had a gun in his car, authorities said. But that didn’t stop multiple law enforcement agencies from giving him a badge. Grayson was convicted of drunken driving twice within a year.

Law enforcement experts say these convictions, plus his prior work history, should have raised serious questions when the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department hired him in May 2023.

“This man (Grayson) should never have had a badge,” Wilburn said. “And he should never have had a gun. He should never have had the opportunity to kill my child.”

Campbell said during his campaign for the job he had worked as a deputy for the sheriff’s office for more than 24 years before retiring in 2016. He unsuccessfully ran for sheriff in 2014 but won four years later.

At a news conference in Springfield, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Massey’s family, said the Justice Department had opened an investigation into the incident, “which is welcome, because there have been some concerns and revelations by the family that we believe should be investigated.” He said he did not know the scope of the investigation.

The Justice Department said only that it “is aware of and is reviewing the circumstances surrounding the officer’s tragic death” and that it “will continue to monitor the criminal case.”

Grayson has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a firearm and malfeasance in office. He was being held without bail in the Sangamon County Jail. If convicted, he faces 45 years to life in prison for murder, six to 30 years for assault and two to five years for misdemeanor assault.