Current Sangamon County coroner Jim Allmon said it was “not sustainable” to retain his office and the title of sheriff long-term.
But in an interview with The State Journal-Register on Friday, Allmon said he would “uphold the bylaws of the (sheriff’s) office and make sure everything runs smoothly and that the people of this community are safe.”
Allmon’s latest responsibility is the retirement of Sheriff Jack Campbell following the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman, in an unincorporated part of Sangamon County on July 6.
Former deputy sheriff Sean P. Grayson has been charged with Massey’s murder in a case that has brought national attention to Springfield.
Campbell initially refused to step down, but announced his retirement on August 9, effective at the end of August.
Campbell, 60, had filed a declaration with the county clerk’s office that Chief Deputy Anthony Mayfield would succeed him when he was no longer in office. County spokesman Jeff Wilhite did not specify whether Mayfield, who had been second in command since Nov. 1, 2021, was resigning or retiring, so the position legally went to Allmon. He was named interim sheriff on Aug. 19.
Under Illinois law, Sangamon County Board Chairman Andy Van Meter will nominate someone to fill the position on a more permanent basis within 60 days of Campbell’s vacancy, with confirmation by the county board. That person may serve the remainder of the sheriff’s term, which ends in 2026.
Also on Friday, Allmon said he would “absolutely not, 100 percent definitely” go out of his way to be considered sheriff long-term.
“I want to continue to forge my own path (as coroner),” said Allmon, who has been with the office since 2003 and has held the top position since 2020 following the death of Coroner Cinda Edwards in a plane crash east of Springfield that also killed her husband and former Mayor Frank Edwards and businessman John Evans.
Allmon, a Republican from rural Pleasant Plains, is running unopposed in the Nov. 5 election for coroner.
As of Friday afternoon, Allmon said he had not yet set foot in the sheriff’s office “out of respect for (Campbell) and his office.”
“When I go into this, I want to be there to make sure they know they have support if they need it, that they have someone they can bring things to if they need something and that they have leadership,” Allmon said. “I can tell you that (the Massey situation) is on everyone’s mind, and I don’t know when or how we’re going to recover from something like this. What happened was horrible and I know they’re aware of that.
“One of the things I would like to do is talk to everybody, from the people in the records department and the people in the patrol department, the people in the detective bureau, the correctional officers there, I would like to meet everybody and I would like to get a sense of what the temperature is like. What are their concerns and what are their recommendations? Where would they like to see their department go?”
Allmon said some of those insights could help inform the Massey Commission, a citizen panel that looks at systemic issues in law enforcement practices, mental health responses and community relations. The commission is expected to produce a comprehensive report within a year with findings, recommendations and proposed actions.
Allmon, 49, is a graduate of Lanphier High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership from Greenville University. He served in the Army National Guard and is an Island Grove Township trustee and Republican county committeeman. He previously served on the Springfield Metropolitan Exposition & Auditorium Authority (SMEAA).
Allmon gained national attention a year ago when he announced that the coroner would open an investigation into Heinz Funeral Home in Carlinville after dozens of families received the wrong cremation ashes.
That led to the passage of a bill, sponsored by Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, that established a chain of custody and a unique identification standard for human remains.
Macoupin County District Attorney Jordan Garrison is still considering charges in the case.
Allmon said he had confidence in a commission tasked with finding a sheriff on a more permanent basis.
Meanwhile, Allmon said he will be relying more on his staff at the coroner’s office, particularly Deputy Chief Zach Thomas.
“I know he’s capable. I know he’s competent,” Allmon said of Thomas. “I have a great staff and I’m fortunate to have that.”
Contact StevenSpearie: (217) 622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.
This article originally appeared in the State Journal-Register: Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon Takes Over as Interim Sheriff
