Sean Grayson, Illinois officer convicted in Sonya Massey killing, dies in prison

Grayson, 32, had been diagnosed with colon cancer before Massey's death

Author of the article:

Washington Post

Aoife Walsh

Published Aug 24, 2026  •  Last updated 53 minutes ago  •  2 minute read

This booking photo provided by the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office shows Sean Grayson, on July 17, 2024, in Springfield, Ill. Photo by Sangamon County Sheriff's Office /Associated Press

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Sean Grayson, the former Illinois sheriff’s deputy convicted for fatally shooting Sonya Massey in her home in 2024, has died six months into his 20-year maximum sentence for second-degree murder, his attorney said.

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Daniel Fultz, who represented Grayson in the Massey case, told the Associated Press his client died Sunday but did not share his cause of death.

Grayson, 32, had been diagnosed with colon cancer before Massey’s death, according to a copy of his application for early medical release published by Capitol News Illinois. The Illinois Prisoner Review Board rejected that request last month. The Illinois Department of Corrections did not immediately respond to a request for comment early Monday.

Grayson, who is White, shot Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman, after she had called 911 to report a prowler outside her home in Springfield, Illinois, early on July 6, 2024.

This undated photo provided by the family’s lawyers in July 2024 shows Sonya Massey of Springfield, Ill. Photo by Courtesy Ben Crump Law /Associated Press

Body-camera footage of the shooting showed Grayson and another deputy speaking to Massey in her home as she heated a pot of water on the stove.

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Grayson asked her to take the pot off the burner, and as she did so, he backed away and said he was moving to avoid “your hot, steaming water,” the footage showed. Massey replied, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”

According to the footage, Grayson, who was some distance from Massey, drew his gun and threatened to shoot her as she moved the pot of water.

Massey apologized and ducked for cover, the video showed. He approached Massey and fired his gun three times, hitting her once in the face.

Grayson later said he believed Massey was making a threat to kill him.

An autopsy found Massey, who had two teenage children, died from a gunshot wound to her head.

Her killing drew widespread condemnation and prompted protests across the country.

Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell stepped down a month after the shooting, as his office faced criticism for hiring Grayson despite past convictions for driving under the influence and disciplinary issues at previous law enforcement agencies.

In August 2025, Illinois lawmakers passed the Sonya Massey Act, which created stricter hiring practices for law enforcement across Illinois.

The law requires law enforcement to thoroughly investigate an applicant’s background, especially past discipline or misconduct history with other departments, before hiring them.

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