Sean Grayson, former Sangamon County deputy convicted in killing of Sonya Massey, dies in prison, attorney says
Sean Grayson, the former deputy convicted of murdering Sonya Massey in 2024, has died in prison while serving a 20-year sentence. Grayson had been suffering from Stage 4 colon cancer, and his request for medical release had been denied last month.
Why it matters
The case of Sonya Massey sparked significant national discourse regarding police conduct and accountability in the United States.
Sean Grayson, the former Sangamon County sheriff's deputy convicted of murdering Sonya Massey in her home in 2024, died on Sunday.Attorney Daniel L. Fultz, who served as Grayson's attorney, confirmed the news on Sunday.Grayson, 32, had been battling Stage 4 colon cancer, for which he was undergoing treatment.Grayson was found guilty last October of second-degree murder for the shooting of Sonya Massey and was serving a 20-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections, which was to be followed by two years of mandatory supervised release.Last month, the Illinois Prisoner Review Board rejected Grayson's medical release request and ordered him to remain in prison, despite the application citing advanced colon cancer.
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