Sean Grayson, ex-deputy convicted of Sonya Massey’s murder, dies in prison

Sean Grayson, a former Illinois deputy sheriff convicted of murdering Sonya Massey in 2024, passed away on Sunday while serving a 20-year prison sentence for the fatal shooting. His attorney, Daniel Fultz, confirmed Grayson's death to The New York Times and The Associated Press but did not provide further information. Body camera footage from July 2024 showed Massey, a Black woman, crouching in her kitchen, apologizing for a possible prowler outside her Springfield-area home when Grayson fatally shot her in the face.

Grayson was sentenced to the maximum 20-year term in January, having been diagnosed with colon cancer that had spread to his liver and lungs prior to the incident. In May, he requested early medical release under Illinois law for prisoners with terminal illnesses, but the request was denied by the Illinois Review Board in July. Massey had called 911 on July 6, 2024, to report a prowler, and Grayson and another deputy responded.

The video shows Grayson instructing Massey to move a pot of hot water from the stove, leading to the fatal shooting. Grayson was fired from his position after the incident and charged with second-degree murder, which was later reduced to the lesser charge. Governor JB Pritzker signed the Sonya Massey Act in response to Massey's death, mandating stricter background checks for law enforcement hires. Sangamon County officials agreed to pay a $10-million settlement to Massey's family in 2025.