Judge seals Grayson O’Connor case, including all charges and documents

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - The court case surrounding the death of 5-year-old Grayson O’Connor has been sealed by a Jackson County judge.

The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed it received the case from the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department. When KCTV5 asked about charges in the case the prosecutor’s office said “it’s all sealed, charges and any documents.”

It is not unusual for a case to be sealed, but it is unique for the charges to be unknown.

A previous police release showed investigators were working to determine if Grayson died by homicide, or if child neglect or endangerment caused his death. Either way, if convicted, the punishments are serious. Endangering the welfare of a child, which leads to the child’s death, is a class A felony. In Missouri, a class A felony comes with a sentence that can range from 10 to 30 years, or life in prison.

Someone ing by the Grand Boulevard Lofts apartments near 10th and Grand the morning of Monday, Nov. 27, found Grayson’s body and called police.

ALSO READ: State troopers honor fallen officer by delivering gifts to children

KCTV5 learned Grayson lived on the 17th floor of the building with his mother. According to police, Grayson fell from the apartment. His death is considered “suspicious” according to information provided by investigators.

Police also identified Grayson’s mother as a person of interest in his death.

The morning police responded to the call about Grayson’s body, they also confirmed that they transported his mother from the apartment to a hospital.

KCTV5 continued to look into the circumstances surrounding Grayson’s death and found police records that show officers responded to the apartment at least eight times over the past six years. The records show six of the calls were because of disturbances while two were welfare checks on a person, or people, living in the apartment.

The records do not include the day Grayson was found dead in the alley outside the building. The records also do not include a different day when police responded to the apartment and arrested a man.

ALSO READ: Missouri Dept. of Revenue owed more than $78 million in delinquent temporary tag fees

Neighbors provided KCTV5 with videos and text messages about concerns sent among people living near the apartment.

They also the 5-year-old boy as sweet and outgoing.

“He was a happy friendly kid,” Derrae Davis, neighbor, said. “He always wanted to share his knowledge because he was a child, so he was learning his numbers, his name, and what floor he lived on.”

Other neighbors said they were concerned about the boy. One, so troubled, she recorded interactions between Grayson and his mother. She told KCTV5 she reported the concerns to building management.

KCTV5 requested Grayson’s records from the Missouri Department of Child and Family Services. The agency said his records are part of a criminal investigation and, “The earliest date and time the responsive documents may be available if released by the Director is April 10, 2024 by 5:00.”

Copyright 2023 KCTV. All rights reserved.