Sean Grayson, a former sheriff’s deputy from Illinois, has passed away after being sentenced to 20 years in prison for the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, a single mother who had called 911 for assistance. His attorney confirmed the news, stating that Grayson died early Sunday at the age of 32.
Daniel Fultz, his defense attorney, informed The Post of Grayson’s death. Prior to the shooting in 2024, he had been diagnosed with colon cancer, which later progressed to his liver and lungs, as noted by his attorney in January.
In July, the Illinois Prisoner Review Board unanimously rejected Grayson’s request for an early medical release due to his health conditions. Fultz did not clarify if Grayson’s death was directly connected to his cancer diagnosis.
Grayson had only served six months of his sentence for the second-degree murder of Massey, who was killed in her Springfield, Illinois home on July 6, 2024, after she reported a potential prowler. Body camera footage revealed that he shot Massey in the face while she was moving hot water from the stove, after she declared, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”
As tensions escalated, Grayson raised his weapon at her, prompting her to apologize before he discharged his firearm three times, hitting her. The officer then indicated to his colleague that a medical kit was unnecessary for Massey, who had sustained a gunshot wound.
Grayson and his legal team maintained that he believed Massey might scald him with the hot water. He was subsequently convicted of second-degree murder in October, amidst protests concerning systemic racism and a review from the U.S. Department of Justice.
In January, he received the maximum sentence for his crime. Following the news of Grayson’s passing, attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, representing Massey’s family, released a statement expressing their condolences to Grayson’s family while emphasizing that his death cannot undo the injustice of Sonya’s killing.
They stated, “Sonya Massey’s death was unjustifiable, and she should be alive today. Sean Grayson’s death in custody from cancer does not bring Sonya back.” The attorneys extended prayers for peace not only to Grayson’s family but to all those mourning the loss of a loved one, recognizing that Sonya’s family understands this grief deeply.
There was no immediate response from Massey’s family attorneys to requests for additional comments.
With Post wires
