Sonya Massey murder: Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell retiring following fatal shooting

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Sheriff Jack Campbell of Sangamon County announced his retirement Friday, just days after Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker called for his resignation following the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey by one of his deputies last month.

On Wednesday, Governor Pritzker, a Democrat, stated that Campbell, a Republican, should step down, claiming, "the sheriff has failed."

"He has failed to explain how he ended up hiring this deputy sheriff who has been fired from other departments," Pritzker said at an event in Chicago. "He failed to put forward reforms that clearly need to be made, training and other reforms and still has failed to meet with the Massey family."

Sean Grayson, 30, faces charges of three counts of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct in the July 6 shooting death of Massey, 36.

Campbell hired Grayson in May 2023.

On Friday, Campbell released the following statement announcing his retirement:

"I was first elected Sheriff in 2018. I embraced that role, to lead SCSO, but I always saw myself as a cop, not a politician. And for over thirty years, my career has been dedicated to improving and protecting our community. As Sheriff, I have committed my life to advancing our capabilities and effectiveness, implementing new policies and practices to ensure we serve the community with the highest standards of integrity and professionalism. All this was done with the idea of creating a safer Sangamon County.

The tragic death of Sonya Massey has been a heartbreaking event for our community. My deepest condolences go out to her family and friends. Since the incident, I have been proactive and transparent, working tirelessly to present all of the facts to the public. I have committed to making changes to our standards and collaborating with other units of government on ways to prevent incidents like this in the future. The one person truly responsible for this act is in jail, and I believe justice will be served through the legal process.

Despite these efforts, some in our community want me to pay the price for that person’s actions, even threatening that I pay that price with my life, my family’s lives, or the lives of my Deputies. We will only persevere together as a community if we turn down the temperature and resolve to do better. 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. 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. The health of me and my family, the Sheriff's Office, and our community has to be my priority.

As elected leaders, we must always put the overall good of the community above ourselves; and I will not risk the community that I swore to protect. For this reason, I am announcing my retirement as Sheriff of Sangamon County, effective no later than August 31st.

While it is painful to say goodbye, I do so knowing I have fulfilled my duties and served to the best of my ability. I want to express my deepest gratitude to the citizens who have supported me throughout the years. I am forever grateful for the opportunity I had, for the people I met and for this Office that I love."

Attorney Ben Crump, who represents the Massey family, responded to the sheriff's decision to retire in a statement shared on Friday evening. 

"The retirement of Sheriff Jack Campbell marks a turning point in the ongoing pursuit of justice for Sonya Massey. Although the pain of her loss is still fresh, Sonya's family is willing to work with the outgoing sheriff for the remainder of his tenure to help heal the community and achieve full justice for Sonya. The Massey family also hopes to work with Sangamon County's next sheriff to examine how this tragedy happened and to ensure that a tragedy like this never happens again in this community."

What we know about Sean Grayson's past

Grayson's past has come under scrutiny. Before entering law enforcement, he was discharged from the Army a decade ago following the first of two DUI arrests within a year. His law enforcement career spanned six jobs in four years, with some performance reviews indicating a need for additional training and noting one disciplinary issue.

Grayson was terminated on July 17 for violating use-of-force standards, specifically for shooting Massey instead of using non-lethal measures when he felt threatened by a pan of hot water she was holding, according to authorities.

Pritzker, who, along with Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, met with Massey's family two weeks ago, criticized Campbell for not engaging with them.

"At a minimum, listen to them, hear them, and then hopefully, take action," Pritzker said.

Campbell has maintained his willingness to meet with the family and stressed the importance of statewide changes to hiring standards to prevent similar incidents in the future.

"We need to unite and heal. The one responsible is in jail and will never work in law enforcement again," Campbell stated. "I am fully prepared to continue leading my office and serving the residents of Sangamon County through this difficult period, ensuring we learn from this tragedy and work toward a better future."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.