The former Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy convicted of shooting an unarmed woman in the face after she called for help died Sunday morning, his attorney confirmed.
Sean Grayson, who was 32, died after serving less than a year of his 20-year prison sentence, defense attorney Dan Fultz said.
Grayson shot Sonya Massey, 36, while she was in her kitchen on July 6, 2024, after she called 911 to report a prowler outside her home. Grayson responded with another deputy, whose body camera recorded the events leading up to the shooting. That video showed Grayson shooting the unarmed Massey.
Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser reviewed the video and the Illinois State Police investigation and charged Grayson with first-degree murder 11 days after Massey’s death.
Grayson’s attorneys confirmed in court documents that doctors diagnosed Grayson with colon cancer in 2023, before Massey’s shooting, but shared that the cancer had then spread to his liver and lungs.
While in the county jail awaiting trial, records obtained by Capitol Illinois News showed that Grayson was transported regularly to Springfield for medical treatment.
At Grayson’s trial, he appeared gaunt and thin, much thinner than the deputy who was 6-foot-4 and weighed 225 pounds at the time of the shooting.
Grayson was convicted of second-degree murder in October.
In May, Grayson requested a compassionate release under the Joe Coleman Act. In his petition, Grayson claimed that Massey invited him into her home and then attacked him with a boiling pot of water. Sonya Massey’s family opposed the release.
The Illinois Prisoner Review Board denied his request in late July.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represented the Massey family, released a statement regarding Grayson’s death.
“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. We wish his family prayers of peace, as we do for all who grieve a loved one. Sonya’s family knows the pain all too well and will grieve her loss the rest of their days,” the statement said.
The Illinois Department of Corrections did not respond to an email regarding Grayson’s death on Sunday. Grayson was in IDOC’s custody at the time of his death but details about his detention were never released.