Former Deputy Sean Grayson Dies in Prison While Serving 20-Year Sentence for Sonya Massey’s Death

Sean Grayson, the former Illinois sheriff’s deputy convicted of fatally shooting Sonya Massey in her home, died Sunday while incarcerated, according to his attorney Daniel Fultz. Grayson was serving a 20-year prison sentence following his October conviction on a charge of second-degree murder. The circumstances surrounding his death were not immediately disclosed.

Grayson had been battling colon cancer prior to the shooting, with cancer later spreading to his liver and lungs, his legal representatives noted during his sentencing. In May, Grayson requested medical release from prison under an Illinois statute permitting early release for inmates with terminal or serious illnesses, but the Illinois Prisoner Review Board rejected his petition last month.

The 32-year-old deputy fatally shot Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman, on July 6, 2024, after she called 911 to report suspicious activity near her Springfield-area home, approximately 200 miles southwest of Chicago. Body-camera footage documented Massey crouching and apologizing moments before Grayson discharged three shots, with one striking her in the head.

A jury determined that Grayson had ordered Massey to move a pot of hot water from the stove, threatened to shoot her and then opened fire when she briefly stood up. His partner, Deputy Dawson Farley, testified he did not perceive Massey as a threat and only drew his weapon after Grayson did. Grayson was terminated following the incident.

Massey’s death sparked nationwide protests and prompted Illinois lawmakers to enact the Sonya Massey Act, requiring law-enforcement agencies to conduct more thorough reviews of applicants’ employment histories. The U.S. Justice Department launched a civil-rights investigation and subsequently negotiated an agreement with Sangamon County and affiliated agencies to implement expanded training for behavioral-health calls and establish a mobile crisis-response unit.