As they’ve searched for justice for more than two years, Grace Norris’ family and friends have been frustrated and felt it’s impossible to get justice for their late loved one.
“We’ve gone on, but every day, there’s this dark cloud hanging over us,” said Jake Norris, Grace Norris’ father. “Even on days when you’re happy, you’re still not happy. There’s always a huge part missing for us, whatever we do.”
Grace Norris, 19, of DeMotte, was killed in a July 4, 2023, Winfield crash in the 7000 block of E. 117th Avenue. Christine M. Mefford was charged in October 2023 with causing death while operating a vehicle with a scheduled I or II controlled substance in the blood, reckless homicide and three counts of criminal recklessness, according to Post-Tribune archives.
Two other teenagers were in the car with Norris and sustained life-threatening injuries. The two have recovered physically, their family said, but have struggled with their mental health since.
In July, Mefford entered a plea deal and pleaded guilty to reckless homicide and criminal recklessness. The concurrent charges mean she could face between one and six years in prison after sentencing.
Mefford’s lawyer, Michael Woods, did not respond to a request for comment about the plea deal. Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter’s assistant also did not respond to a request for comment.
Grace Norris’ father Jake Norris is encouraging people to write victim impact statements about Grace and what she meant to them. The family is doing all they can to get justice for Grace, Jake Norris said.
They believe there has been no remorse from Mefford, Jake Norris said, and it’s frustrating to see how little time she could get with the plea deal. Other family members have said the deal is absurd, too lenient and doesn’t represent the pain they’ve felt for more than two years.
“It’s ridiculous,” Jake Norris said. “It’s almost to the point where we just want it over with and to go away because we know we’re not going to get any justice from the court system — not equal justice, that’s for sure.”
Most of Grace Norris’ family was at a Fourth of July party when she had left to pick up her sister and a friend. They tried to get a hold of the girls but couldn’t.
“We’re a really close family,” Jake Norris said. “We saw them on (the Find My Friends app) … and saw they hadn’t moved in 45 minutes, so Nicole (Krause, Grace Norris’ sister) and her husband, Cody, and I left to go to the scene.”
When they arrived at the scene, Nicole Krause said they saw Grace Norris’ car in the road and the coroner’s van. The family arrived at the scene about 45 minutes after the accident and stayed for about an hour.
Officials at the scene told them that it was a car accident, and one of the drivers had died, and two passengers had been airlifted to the hospital.
“We got there, and the roof was cut off the car, and the younger girls were already gone,” Krause said. “Grace was still there, but they wouldn’t let us get a closer look at her.”
According to Post-Tribune archives, a witness saw Mefford, driving a Subaru Outback, try to pass a Jeep on a two-lane highway and hit a Kia Optima head-on. The area was hilly with blind spots, and it was hard to see opposing traffic, according to archives.
Police noted the crash was due to “aggressive driving,” and toxicology reports showed marijuana was in her system, but it was unclear how much of a contributing factor it was.
Crash construction data showed Mefford sped up to nearly 58 miles per hour from 40 miles per hour, then braked about half a second before the crash, according to Post-Tribune archives.
Mefford’s sentencing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Sept. 12 with Lake County Superior Court Judge Salvador Vasquez, according to online court records.
mwilkins@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/30/family-of-deceased-demotte-teen-frustrated-with-plea-deal/
