Sean Grayson, an ex-Illinois sheriff’s deputy who was convicted of killing Sonya Massey in 2024, died in prison.
Massey called 911 to report a prowler outside her Illinois home in 2024.
Grayson’s lawyer, Daniel Fultz, who represented him during his murder trial, said he died around Sunday noon, August 23.
The former deputy sheriff was serving a 20-year imprisonment for second-degree murder.
In 2025, Grayson, 32, was discovered with Stage 3 colon cancer, which had progressed to Stage 4, damaging his liver, lungs and rectum.
However, no official statement has arrived from the Illinois Sheriff’s Department as to what caused his death.
Grayson died just over three weeks after his court hearing before the Illinois Prisoner Review Board.
Grayson, who was convicted in October 2025 by Peoria County jury of second-degree murder, was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment in January 2026.
After Grayson sought early release on medical grounds, he was denied by the Illinois Prisoner Review Board in July, according to Mark Wykoff, another defence attorney for Grayson.
Grayson opened fire at Massey, 36, at the time, after he responded to her 911 emergency call moments after 1 a.m. on July 6, 2024.
The murder led to widespread street protests demanding justice for Massey, after a body camera footage of the shooting surfaced online.
What led to Sonya Massey’s killing in her final moments?
During a 911 call response, Massey picked up a pot of boiling water from her stove, which triggered Grayson to step back, per court testimony.
Grayson testified that he believed Massey was going to pour in on him after she said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”
Grayson looked lost, so Massey repeated what she said.
He stated in his testimony that he took the remark as a threat.
He went on to point his gun at Massey and then he threatened to shoot her, according to the body camera footage.
Even when Massey dropped the pot onto the floor, he opened fire three times, striking her.
2026-08-24 10:49:00
