Additional Coverage:
- Arizona father who doused 2-year-old daughter in gasoline and burned her to death dies in prison (themirror.com)
Shawn Ryan Grell, 50, died in prison on April 19 while serving a life sentence for the 1999 murder of his two-year-old daughter, Kristen Salem. The Arizona Department of Corrections announced Grell’s death on Wednesday and stated that the cause is currently unknown, pending an ongoing investigation, which is standard procedure for all inmate deaths.
Grell’s horrific crime shocked the community. After picking Salem up from daycare and taking her to McDonald’s for dinner, he drove her to the desert near Mesa.
There, he doused the sleeping toddler with gasoline and set her on fire. Prosecutors revealed that Salem awoke and cried, “No daddy, no,” before succumbing to her injuries after crawling approximately 10 feet.
Her body was discovered the following morning.
Grell attempted to confess multiple times – during a DUI stop, via a 911 call, and ultimately by walking into the Arizona State Capitol and confessing to police. He was subsequently taken into custody.
Initially sentenced to death after being convicted of first-degree murder, Grell himself stated, “I deserve it.” However, his sentence was changed to life in prison without parole in 2013.
The Arizona Supreme Court ruled that Grell’s mental disability, stemming from childhood brain damage and a troubled upbringing in group homes, made him ineligible for execution under federal law. One evaluator poignantly noted that Grell seemed to have never experienced “a moment of genuine happiness in his life.”
While acknowledging the devastating impact of the crime on Salem’s family, the court deemed his execution unconstitutional given his disability.