By John O’Connor and Rick Callahan
Associated Press
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — An Illinois sheriff who hired the deputy charged in the death of Sonya Massey announced Friday that he will retire, five weeks after the 36-year-old woman was fatally shot in her home.
Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell, who won the office in 2018, said politics stood 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 did “not intend to step down.”
“We must honor the life of Sonya Massey by ensuring that no one else falls victim to such tragic and senseless action. That has been my sincere mission since that fateful day,” Campbell said in a statement. “But it has become clear that the current political climate has made it nearly impossible for me to continue effectively in my role.
“Some individuals would rather see our community divided and in turmoil than allow me to continue serving as sheriff,” Campbell said.
A Republican, the 60-year-old Campbell said he would vacate his office no later than Aug. 31.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, demanded this week that Campbell step aside, saying he had not provided answers to questions about how Sean Grayson became a deputy in the central Illinois county that’s home to the state capital of Springfield. Grayson, 30, was fired after being indicted on murder and other charges in Massey’s July 6 killing.
Grayson has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct. He is being held without bond in the Menard County Jail. His defense attorney has declined to comment on the case.
Authorities said that after Massey called 911 to report a suspected prowler, two deputies went to her residence in Springfield, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southwest of Chicago.
Sheriff’s body camera video released on July 22 confirmed prosecutors’ earlier account of the tense moment when Grayson yelled across a kitchen counter at Massey to set down a pot of hot water. When he then threatened to shoot the unarmed woman, Massey ducked and briefly rose. In the chaos, it appeared she picked up the pan again and Grayson fired his 9 mm pistol three times, hitting her once just beneath her left eye, according to autopsy findings.
When Grayson was fired, Campbell said it was evident the deputy “did not act as trained or in accordance with our standards.”
Campbell attended a listening session with community members on July 29 asking for the Massey family’s forgiveness and saying, “I offer up no excuses.”
Campbell’s office reserved a website exclusively for questions about the incident where Grayson’s personnel file, audio of 911 calls, deputies’ field reports from July 6 and other documents requested by the public were posted. He said he had reached out to Massey family intermediaries asking to sit down with them on four occasions but none had been accepted.
Campbell worked for the sheriff’s office for more than 24 years as a deputy before retiring in 2016. He ran unsuccessfully for sheriff in 2014 but won four years later.
If convicted, Grayson faces sentences of 45 years to life for murder, six to 30 years for battery and two to five years for misconduct.