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Michael Reese Sentenced to 50 Years for Killing Visiting Nurse

Connecticut is set to distribute security grants to employers, imposing reporting requirements for threats against home healthcare workers.

FILE - Reach House, a halfway house for sex offenders where visiting nurse Joyce Grayson was found dead, sits atop a small hill, Nov. 21, 2023, in Willimantic, Conn. (AP Photo/Pat Eaton Robb, File)
Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, billed as the world’s largest cruise ship, is moored at PortMiami after returning from its maiden voyage on Feb. 3, 2024, in Miami.
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Overview

  • Michael Reese, a 40-year-old convicted sex offender, accepted a plea deal and received a 50-year prison sentence with no possibility of parole for the 2023 killing of 63-year-old visiting nurse Joyce Grayson.
  • Authorities found Grayson’s body in a padlocked basement in Willimantic and discovered her cell phone submerged in liquid in a bathtub, with investigators ruling her death a homicide by neck compression.
  • Reese faced charges of murder, felony murder, and attempted sexual assault and had been held on a $2 million bond before his guilty plea.
  • Grayson’s death prompted community vigils and widespread calls from healthcare workers for enhanced protections during home visits.
  • Under legislation passed after Grayson’s death, employers can apply for state-funded security grants and must notify the Connecticut Department of Public Health of any threats or assaults on healthcare staff.