Sean Grayson, the former police officer sentenced to 20 years in prison for killing Sonya Massey in Illinois, has died

Former Sangamon County Sheriff's Department deputy Sean Grayson, who was convicted of killing Sonya Massey inside her home in Illinois in 2024, died on Sunday after being diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer three years ago. In a statement, his attorney, Daniel Fultz, announced the death but did not provide details about the cause of death, noting that the 32-year-old former deputy died around noon.

As another of his defense attorneys, Mark Wykoff, explained during the sentencing hearing held in January, Grayson was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2023, and the disease had progressed to stage 4 and spread to his liver, lungs, and rectum. In July, the Illinois Prisoner Review Board denied his request for medical parole.

Grayson was convicted last October of second-degree murder for the fatal shooting of Massey. He was serving a 20-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections, followed by two years of mandatory supervised release. The case dates back to an incident in July 2024, when Massey, 36, contacted authorities to report a possible intruder outside her home. Grayson and another officer, Dawson Farley, responded to the house and spoke with Massey. During the encounter, Grayson stated that Massey began behaving erratically and repeatedly said that she was rebuking him "in the name of Jesus." At one point, she walked toward a pot of water sitting on the stove.

According to body camera footage, Grayson pointed his gun at Massey and threatened to shoot her. Although she apologized and fell to the ground, the officer fired three shots that struck her and even refused to provide her with medical attention, according to Sangamon County State's Attorney John Milhiser's testimony in court.

Farley later testified during Grayson's trial about his perception of the encounter. He told jurors that he was not afraid of Massey, but of Grayson, adding that he only drew his gun after seeing that his partner had done the same.