Sean Grayson, the former Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy who was convicted of second-degree murder in October 2025 and sentenced in January to 20 years in prison for the July 6, 2024 shooting death of Sonya Massey, died Sunday August 23 in custody.
His attorney Daniel Fultz confirmed the death to NPR Illinois. No cause or location was officially given, but Fultz had previously disclosed that Grayson was battling Stage 4 colon cancer that had spread to his liver and lungs. He was 31 years old.
The Illinois Prisoner Review Board voted 3-0 in July to deny Grayson's application for medical release after serving only six months of his sentence.
Massey's family and the Sangamon County State's Attorney both testified against his release. The board's decision was final. He died approximately one month after it was denied.
Massey, 36, a Black mother of two, was shot in the head in her Springfield, Illinois kitchen in the early hours of July 6, 2024, body camera footage showed her reaching to move a pot of boiling water when Grayson opened fire. The footage sparked national protests and a Department of Justice review.
"Sonya Massey's death was unjustifiable and she should be alive today," attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci said in a statement Sunday. "Sean Grayson's death in custody from cancer does not bring Sonya back."