Visiting Connecticut nurse Joyce Grayson was married to her spouse Ronald and they had six children together. Her family in a statement says she died ‘doing what she loved’.
Joyce Grayson, a mother and a grandmother, was tragically found dead in the basement of a Connecticut halfway house on Saturday while caring for a registered sex offender.
She had an appointment with the patient, now her suspected murderer, who was living in the house alone.
Michael Carlos Reese, the suspect in Joyce Grayson’s death, has a dark criminal past
The family of Grayson, 63, is heartbroken and has bashed failure to protect the nurse.
Here’s everything we know about her death, family, married husband and children.
Who was visiting nurse Joyce Grayson’s husband and did she have kids?
Joyce Grayson was married to her husband, Ronald.
For now, details about her spouse are unknown.
Grayson and Ronald had six children together.
She was also a grandmother to four, according to an obituary.
But for nearly two decades, she was also a devoted foster parent to dozens of kids.
“From 2002-2021, the Grayson family provided love and care to 35 children. The children ranged in ages from infants to teens, children with multiple medically complex needs and a handful of sibling groups. They even received the Foster Parent of the Year award in 2017,” Commissioner of the Department of Children and Families Vannessa Dorante wrote in a statement.
“Joyce’s warmth, kindness and compassion will be missed by everyone who knew her and her legacy will live on in the countless lives of children she touched.”
What have Joyce Grayson’s family said about her death?
Grayson’s family, who called the police after hours of not hearing from her, is wondering why she was alone with the man in the first place.
“They feel strongly that there likely were a lot of balls dropped, leading up to the death of their mother and wife,” the family’s attorney Kelly Reardon told NBC affiliate WVIT.
Reardon is representing the family in a wrongful death and personal injury lawsuit over the victim who “dedicated her life to caring for others,” the law firm said in a statement.
Grayson’s death has sparked a conversation on protections for visiting nurses who put their lives at risk for homebound patients.
“Every day you leave your home, you’re not sure if you’re going to go home if you’re going to get attacked,” Grayson’s colleague Merlyn Dunbar told Fox affiliate WTIC.
“We take a risk every day when we go into someone’s home.”
State Senator Saud Anwar, who represents Connecticut’s 3rd District, described the killing as a “wakeup call” for the entire state to do better.
He is looking at solutions so nurses know living situations before they enter a home alone.
Reese was released from prison early after nearly stabbing someone to death and moved into a halfway house, police said.
It’s unclear if Grayson understood the nature of the home when she entered.
Grayson dedicated her personal and professional life to the care of others, as she was a foster and adoptive parent for almost two decades, according to the state’s Department of Education.
“Joyce was a beautiful soul, who dedicated her life to caring for others. She loved her job as a mental health nurse, and it was truly what she was put on this earth to do. She passed away doing what she loved,” according to an obituary.
Who was visiting nurse Joyce Grayson?
Joyce Grayson was a wife and a mother of six who worked as a nurse, a profession she was passionate about.
Grayson was born on June 29, 1960, and had 12 siblings. She grew up on a dairy farm in Sterling, Connecticut.
She was an alumna of Killingly High School and studied nursing at Windham Tech, where she became a licensed practical nurse.
Grayson spent most of her career working for the State of Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
The late health worker spent over three decades in the medical field.
After retiring, she continued to work as a visiting nurse for New England Home Care, now known as Elara Caring, for over a decade.
According to her obituary, Grayson “dedicated her life to caring for others” and “passed away doing what she loved.”
What happened to Joyce Grayson and who is her suspected killer?
On October 28, 2023, Joyce Grayson was killed in Willimantic, Connecticut, while she was doing her job as a visiting nurse.
She was discovered lifeless in the basement of the halfway home called The Reach House, or Re-Entry Assisted Community Housing where she had her first appointment for the day.
Michael Carlos Reese, who has been living in the house alone since August 2023 following his release from prison, has been identified as the suspected murderer in Joyce Grayson’s death.
The victim had an appointment with the suspected killer.
Reese reportedly has a dark criminal history. He is a convicted sex offender and had been on probation for a conviction of first-degree sexual assault and first-degree assault causing serious injury.
Authorities note that he had just completed a program for his sexual offenses.
On the day Grayson’s body was killed, Reese was caught fleeing the scene.
His ankle monitor was found to be tampered with.
He reportedly possessed a knife, a crack pipe, car keys, and several credit cards that did not belong to him.
His arrest report also revealed that he had Grayson’s belongings.
Reese was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and sixth-degree larceny.