HARTFORD, Conn. — What happened to 63-year-old Joyce Grayson on Saturday while seeking to care for recently released registered sex offender Michael Reese remains unclear. What is clear is that Willimantic police found Grayson’s body in the basement.
The visiting nurse community wearing white ribbons stood with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle Wednesday to call for increased protections for visiting nurses.
“Every day you leave your home, you’re not sure if you’re going to go home if you’re going to get attacked, anything. You know we take a risk every day when we go into someone’s home,” said Merlyn Dunbar, a visiting nurse in Windsor.
Dunbar is afraid to work after what happened to her friend and colleague.
“She was a very beautiful soul, loving, kind," said Dunbar.
The Grayson family has retailed a New London-based legal firm that specializes in wrongful death claims. The family said it’s heartbroken and seeking privacy from the media during this difficult time.
“This is our state coming together as one single voice and we are saying there is going to be zero tolerance,” said State Sen. Saud Anwar.
It’s unclear if Grayson knew she was visiting a halfway house.
Michael Reese, who was released from prison early after nearly stabbing someone to death, is now back in custody. Police said he had Grayson’s keys on his person and they found evidence he tampered with a court-monitored GPS device.
“People are being released time and again who a lot of us cringe and say, are they really ready to be integrated into society and clearly they’re not," said State Rep. Vincent Candelora.
One of the issues lawmakers said they’ll be looking into is policy changes that could potentially require an escort to accompany nurses in high-risk situations. Nurses said they would like more reporting requirements for assaults.
“We will never forget her name. Every single visiting nurse. We’re all really sad. None of us are surprised,” said State Sen. Martha Marx.
Samaia Hernandez is a reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at shernandez@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
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