Latest news with #ShawnRyanGrell
New York Post
12-06-2025
- New York Post
Arizona medical examiner reveals how killer dad Shawn Ryan Grell died in notoriously violent prison
A murderous dad serving a life sentence for burning his 2-year-old daughter alive 26 years ago died of lung cancer in his cell at a notoriously violent Arizona prison, an autopsy revealed this week. The body of convicted murderer Shawn Ryan Grell, 50, was discovered by authorities in the Arizona State Prison Complex in Tucson on April 19. Officials did not disclose any details about his death at the time. A report from the medical examiner obtained by The Post on Wednesday revealed Grell died of natural causes. Advertisement 5 Shawn Ryan Grell's body was discovered by authorities in the Arizona State Prison Complex on April 19. Arizona Department of Corrections 'The cause of death is ascribed to metastatic non-small cell lung cancer,' wrote Dr. Ryan Bruhns, a medical examiner with the Pima County Medical Examiner's Office. 'The manner of death is natural.' There were no injuries on his body, according to the report. Advertisement Grell's death generated online speculation over whether it was a result of a revenge killing by another inmate, given the horrifying nature of his crime. That speculation came as legislators were calling for sweeping reforms at the Arizona Department of Corrections after three inmates were savagely murdered 15 days before in the same prison complex where Grell died. The three prisoners were killed on April 4 by Ricky Wassenaar, a notorious convict who is serving 16 life sentences for murder and his role in one of the longest prison hostage situations in American history, according to prison officials. 5 Grell was serving a life sentence for killing his 2-year-old daughter over two decades ago. Advertisement 5 The body of Grell's daughter was found just outside Phoenix in 1999. Two of Wassenaar's victims were serving life sentences for sex crimes against a minor, the other was in for raping and murdering a 15-year-old girl. 'Child molesters: I wanted to kill them all. That's all I can say,' he told the Arizona Mirror in a recent phone call. The medical examiner put an end to the online theories. Advertisement 5 A report from the medical examiner obtained by The Post showed Grell died of lung cancer. 'This 50-year-old male inmate at the Arizona State Prison Complex – Tucson…was discovered unresponsive in his bed in the Rincon Unit,' the report read. 'He was pronounced deceased at the scene by an attending physician.' Grell's thin body was delivered to the medical examiner in a white body bag. He weighed just 134 pounds and had bad teeth, according to the report. Grell was serving a life sentence for murdering his daughter over 25 years ago. He picked up Kristen Salem from a Mesa day care on Dec. 2, 1999, and took her to McDonald's for lunch, according to court records. 5 The medical examiner's report put to rest online speculation that another inmate killed Grell. He told the tot they were going to see Christmas lights, reported, but instead he drove to Target to buy a plastic gas can and gasoline, according to court documents. He then drove to the desert outside Mesa, laid his sleeping daughter on the ground, doused her in gasoline and lit her on fire, the records said. Little Kristen woke up and staggered 10 feet while engulfed in flames, before collapsing on the ground. Advertisement He later confessed to the killing at a press conference early the next morning. 'I took the gasoline and I poured it on her,' he told investigators during a videotaped interview. 'I took the match and threw it on her,' he added with no trace of emotion in his voice.
NDTV
05-06-2025
- General
- NDTV
Man Who Burned His Sleeping Daughter In Desert 26 Years Ago Dies In Prison
An Arizona man, who admitted to setting his two-year-old daughter on fire with gasoline in 1999, has died in jail. Shawn Ryan Grell, 50, was serving a life sentence until he died on April 19 at ASPC-Tucson facility. On April 19, authorities found the body of the convicted killer in the prison complex, but they withheld information concerning his cause of death, The New York Post reported. In December 1999, Grell picked up his daughter Kristen Salem from daycare with the intention of taking her to see the Christmas lights, per the East Valley Tribune. Instead, they headed to a department shop in Mesa, where Grell bought gasoline and a plastic gas can. He then reportedly drove to an isolated desert region in east Mesa, where he laid his daughter down and set her on fire. Kristen woke up, staggered 10 feet through the flames, then fell to the ground, and died, as per reports. Having murdered his daughter, Grell proceeded to a local convenience store to purchase alcohol. He further informed the shopkeeper that he had witnessed some youngsters burning a dog in an empty lot. Grell later contacted the police and turned himself in. At a press conference early the next morning, he subsequently admitted to the murder. "I took the gasoline and I poured it on her. I took the match and threw it on her," he admitted in a recorded interview to investigators. Grell was given the death penalty in 2001 after being found guilty of first-degree murder and burglary. The court ruled the senseless killing was carried out in an "especially heinous, cruel, and depraved manner." That was reversed in 2013 when the Arizona Supreme Court unanimously decided that his death sentence was "cruel and unusual punishment." The court declared that Grell had mental retardation, and his death sentence was revoked. He received a life sentence in prison until he died in prison in April.
New York Post
05-06-2025
- New York Post
Barbaric dad who set sleeping daughter, 2, on fire in desert dies behind bars 26 years after ‘heinous, cruel and depraved' slaying
An Arizona dad who told his 2-year-old daughter they were going to see Christmas lights but instead took her into the desert and lit the tot on fire has died in prison 26 years after the barbaric killing. The body of convicted murderer Shawn Ryan Grell, 50, was discovered by officials in the Arizona Prison Complex Tucson on April 19, but they did not disclose any details about his death. 4 The body of convicted murderer Shawn Ryan Grell, 50, was discovered in the Arizona Prison Complex Tucson on April 19, but they did not disclose any details about his death. Arizona Department of Corrections 'All inmate deaths are investigated in consultation with the county medical examiner's office,' the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry said in a statement to The Post Wednesday. The Prima County Medical Examiner's Office could not be reached for comment. Grell case was described by Arizona's highest court as 'horrific,' according to Grell picked up his young daughter, Kristen Salem, from a Mesa day care on Dec. 2, 1999, and took her to McDonald's, the outlet reported. He said they were going to see Christmas lights, reported in 2009, but instead drove to Target to buy a plastic gas can and gasoline, according to court documents. He drove to a deserted area in the desert outside Mesa, laid his sleeping daughter on the ground, doused her in gasoline and lit her on fire, the records said. 4 Kristen Salem, 2, was set on fire by her father, Shawn Ryan Grell, who died in prison in April. Little Kristen awoke, stumbled 10 feet while engulfed in flames, before collapsing on the ground. After killing his daughter, Grell went to buy beer at a nearby convenience store. He told the clerk that he had seen some teenagers setting a dog on fire in a vacant lot. He drove around for hours before calling the cops and turning himself in. He would later confess to the killing at a press conference early the next morning. 'I took the gasoline and I poured it on her,' he told investigators during a videotaped interview. 'I took the match and threw it on her,' he added with no trace of emotion in his voice. 4 Shawn Ryan Grell confessed to fatally setting his 2-year-old daughter on fire in an Arizona desert in 1999. 4 Little Kristen awoke, stumbled 10 feet while engulfed in flames, before collapsing on the ground. The court ruled that the senseless killing was committed in an 'especially heinous, cruel, and depraved manner' and Grell was charged with first-degree murder and sentenced to death. But that was overturned via a unanimous ruling by the Arizona Supreme Court in 2013, which found his death sentence was 'cruel and unusual punishment.' Grell was one of 144 death sentences around the country affected by a Supreme Court decision in 2002 that ruled it was a violation of the Eighth Amendment to administer the death penalty to people with 'mental deficiencies.' 'Because of their disabilities in areas of reasoning, judgment, and control of their impulses, however, they do not act with the level of moral culpability that characterizes the most serious adult criminal conduct,' the Supreme Court ruled in Atkins v. Virginia. Grell's lawyers successfully argued, citing the killer's low IQ scores and other medical tests, that their client met the criteria laid out by the Supreme Court in their 6-3 decision.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
He Promised to Show His 2-Year-Old Daughter Christmas Lights — Instead, He Set Her on Fire. Now, He's Dead in Prison
Shawn Ryan Grell, 50, died on April 19 at ASPC-Tucson facility, according to the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry He was convicted of dousing his two-year-old daughter with gasoline and setting her on fire His cause of death has yet to be reportedAn Arizona man who was serving a life sentence for pouring gasoline on his two-year-old daughter and setting her on fire has died in prison. Shawn Ryan Grell, 50, died on April 19 at ASPC-Tucson facility, according to the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry. 'All inmate deaths are investigated in consultation with the county medical examiner's office,' the department said. It's unclear how the inmate died. Grell picked up his daughter Kristen Salem from her daycare in Dec. 1999 with a plan to take her to see Christmas lights, the East Valley Tribune the twosome drove to a department store in Mesa where he purchased a gas can and then bought some gas. He then drove to a remote desert area in east Mesa before placing his daughter on the ground and setting her on fire, according to the Tribune. The girl crawled about 10 feet before she died, prosecutors said, per He was convicted of first-degree murder and robbery in connection to her killing in 2001 and sentenced to death. However in 2013, his death sentence was commuted after the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that he had mental retardation, reported. He was sentenced to life in prison. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
He Promised to Show His 2-Year-Old Daughter Christmas Lights — Instead, He Set Her on Fire. Now, He's Dead in Prison
Shawn Ryan Grell, 50, died on April 19 at ASPC-Tucson facility, according to the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry He was convicted of dousing his two-year-old daughter with gasoline and setting her on fire His cause of death has yet to be reportedAn Arizona man who was serving a life sentence for pouring gasoline on his two-year-old daughter and setting her on fire has died in prison. Shawn Ryan Grell, 50, died on April 19 at ASPC-Tucson facility, according to the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry. 'All inmate deaths are investigated in consultation with the county medical examiner's office,' the department said. It's unclear how the inmate died. Grell picked up his daughter Kristen Salem from her daycare in Dec. 1999 with a plan to take her to see Christmas lights, the East Valley Tribune the twosome drove to a department store in Mesa where he purchased a gas can and then bought some gas. He then drove to a remote desert area in east Mesa before placing his daughter on the ground and setting her on fire, according to the Tribune. The girl crawled about 10 feet before she died, prosecutors said, per He was convicted of first-degree murder and robbery in connection to her killing in 2001 and sentenced to death. However in 2013, his death sentence was commuted after the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that he had mental retardation, reported. He was sentenced to life in prison. Read the original article on People
