Ex-deputy convicted of fatally shooting Sonya Massey dies in prison
byALEXX ALTMAN-DEVILBISS | The National News Desk
Mon, August 24, 2026 at 5:22 AM
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FILE – This booking photo provided by the Macon County, Ill., Jail in January 2025, shows Sean Grayson, a former Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy who is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Sonya Massey on July 6, 2024, in Springfield, Ill. (Macon County Jail via AP, File)
CHICAGO (TNND) —A former Illinois sheriff’s deputy convicted of fatally shooting Sonya Massey inside her home in 2024 died Sunday while serving a 20-year prison sentence, according to his attorney
Daniel Fultz confirmed Sean Grayson’s death to The Associated Press but declined to provide further details. Grayson had been diagnosed with colon cancer before Massey’s killing, and Fultz said at his client’s sentencing that the cancer had spread to his liver and lungs
Grayson sought medical release in May under an Illinois law for prisoners with terminal illnesses or serious medical conditions, but the Illinois Prisoner Review Board denied the request
Grayson, 32, was convicted of second-degree murder in October 2025 in the death of Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman who had called 911 to report a prowler outside her home
The shooting followed a confrontation over a pot of hot water that Massey had removed from the stove. Grayson claimed he feared she would scald him. After Massey told Grayson, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” he threatened to shoot her in the face before firing three times
In this image taken from body camera video released by Illinois State Police on Monday, July 22, 2024, former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson, left, points his gun at Sonya Massey, who called 911 for help, before shooting and killing her inside her home in Springfield, Ill., July 6, 2024. (Illinois State Police via AP)
Body-camera footage recorded by Deputy Dawson Farley played a central role in the prosecution’s case. The video captured Massey — who had mental health struggles — pleading with officers, “Don’t hurt me” and “Please God.” Farley testified that Massey did not pose a threat, though he initially told investigators he feared for his safety because of the hot water
Massey’s death intensified scrutiny of law enforcement shootings involving Black people and prompted changes in Illinois. Lawmakers later passed the Sonya Massey Act, requiring law enforcement agencies to more closely review applicants’ prior employment records before hiring officers
The Justice Department also opened a civil rights investigation and later reached an agreement with Sangamon County, its sheriff’s office and other agencies requiring changes to policing and emergency response. Those changes included additional training for encounters involving people with behavioral health disabilities and the development of a mobile crisis response program
