Sean Grayson, a former Illinois sheriff's deputy convicted in the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, died Sunday while serving a 20-year prison sentence, his attorney confirmed. Grayson, 32, was found guilty in October of second-degree murder for the July 2024 shooting death of Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman. The incident occurred inside Massey's Springfield-area home after she called 911 to report a possible prowler.
Body camera footage from the encounter showed Grayson directing Massey to remove a pot of hot water from the stove. As she held the pot, Massey made a statement to the deputies. Grayson then threatened to shoot her, drew his handgun, and ordered her to drop the pot. Massey apologized and moved behind a kitchen counter before Grayson fired three times, striking her in the face.
Grayson was fired from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office following the shooting and initially charged with first-degree murder. Jurors convicted him of the lesser charge of second-degree murder after his defense argued that he feared Massey would throw the hot water at him. He was sentenced in January to the maximum 20 years in prison.
Grayson's attorneys had stated at his sentencing that he had been diagnosed with colon cancer prior to Massey's killing, and that the disease had spread. In May, he sought medical release under a state law for prisoners with terminal or serious medical conditions, but the Illinois Prisoner Review Board denied his request last month.
Massey's killing led to protests and national attention, raising questions about Grayson's prior law enforcement employment history. In response to the incident, Illinois lawmakers passed the Sonya Massey Act, which mandates that law enforcement agencies more thoroughly review an applicant's past employment records before hiring. The Justice Department also launched a civil rights investigation, which resulted in an agreement with Sangamon County and its sheriff's office requiring reforms in policing and emergency response, including enhanced training for interactions with individuals with behavioral health disabilities and the development of a mobile crisis response program.