Shawn Ryan Grell dies in fatal Tucson prison incident

Shawn Ryan Grell dies in fatal Tucson prison incident

Fatal Tucson prison death of Shawn Ryan Grell – Obituary

Shawn Ryan Grell, who was serving a life sentence for the horrific murder of his young daughter, died in a Tucson prison on April 19, according to the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry. Grell was 50 years old at the time of his death. Authorities have not disclosed the cause, but standard procedure ensures all inmate deaths are reviewed.

The crime that led to his incarceration occurred on December 2, 1999. Grell had picked up his 2-year-old daughter, Kristen Salem, from day care and took her to a McDonald’s restaurant. Later that evening, he drove into the desert near Mesa, where he doused her in gasoline and set her on fire. Kristen, severely burned, reportedly managed to crawl roughly ten feet before succumbing to her injuries. Her body was found the next day, and Grell later confessed to the killing.

Initially sentenced to death, Grell’s fate changed in 2013 when the Arizona Supreme Court determined he had intellectual disabilities, which under federal law made him ineligible for execution. Though the court upheld the life sentence, it described the murder as deeply disturbing and acknowledged the enduring grief of Kristen’s family.

Grell’s passing brings to a close a case that has haunted Arizona for over two decades.