Sean Grayson Dies While Serving Sentence for Sonya Massey Shooting Near Springfield

Former Sangamon County deputy dies after conviction in nationally watched police shooting

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois — Sean Grayson, the former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy convicted in the fatal 2024 shooting of Sonya Massey at her Springfield-area home, died Sunday while serving a 20-year prison sentence, his attorney confirmed. Grayson was 32.

Attorney Daniel Fultz said Grayson died earlier Sunday but did not disclose the cause of death or say where his client died. The death came months after Grayson sought release from prison because of advanced cancer, a request that was denied by the Illinois Prisoner Review Board last month.

Grayson had been convicted of second-degree murder in October for killing Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman who had called 911 shortly after midnight on July 6, 2024, to report a possible prowler outside her home. He received the maximum 20-year sentence in January.

Body-camera video documented final moments of Sonya Massey

The shooting drew widespread outrage after body-camera footage was released showing the encounter inside Massey’s kitchen. Grayson and another Sangamon County deputy, Dawson Farley, had responded to her emergency call.

Video showed Grayson directing Massey to remove a pot of hot water from the stove. While holding the pot, Massey told the deputies, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” Grayson then threatened to shoot her, drew his handgun and told her to drop the pot.

Massey apologized and crouched behind a kitchen counter before Grayson fired three shots, striking her in the face. Farley later testified that he did not view Massey as a threat and drew his own weapon only after Grayson had drawn his gun.

Prosecutors initially charged Grayson with first-degree murder after he was fired by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office. During trial, Grayson argued that he believed Massey was about to throw hot water at him. Jurors found him guilty of the lesser second-degree murder charge.

Cancer diagnosis figured in failed bid for medical release

Grayson’s attorneys said during sentencing that he had been diagnosed with colon cancer before Massey’s death and that the disease had spread to his liver and lungs. In May, just months after beginning his prison term, he asked for medical release under an Illinois law allowing consideration of release for prisoners with terminal illnesses or severe medical conditions.

The Prisoner Review Board rejected that request in July. Neither Fultz nor authorities immediately released further information Sunday about Grayson’s medical condition before his death or whether the cancer played a role.

Massey’s death became a national flashpoint in the continuing debate over police use of force, particularly during encounters involving people who may be experiencing behavioral health challenges. The case also brought scrutiny to Grayson’s employment history and the process that led to his hiring by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office after work at several other law enforcement agencies.

In response, Illinois lawmakers approved the Sonya Massey Act, which requires police agencies to conduct more thorough reviews of prospective officers’ prior employment records. The U.S. Department of Justice also opened a civil rights investigation and later reached an agreement with Sangamon County, the sheriff’s office and other agencies requiring reforms to policing and emergency response practices.

The agreement includes expanded training for interactions with people with behavioral health disabilities and the development of a mobile crisis response program. Details surrounding Grayson’s death had not been publicly released as of Sunday.