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Grayson dies in custody
Sean Grayson, the former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy convicted of fatally shooting Sonya Massey in her home in 2024, has died while serving a 20-year prison sentence, his attorney Daniel Fultz confirmed Sunday.
“Daniel Fultz, the attorney who represented Grayson during his murder trial, said he died around noon.”
NBC News reported Fultz said Grayson died around noon, and it noted Grayson was six months into his 20-year sentence for second-degree murder.
The case began after Massey, 36, called 911 around 1 a.m. on July 6, 2024, about a possible prowler, and Grayson was among the deputies who responded.
NBC News said body camera video captured the encounter in which Massey picked up a pot of boiling water from her stove, prompting Grayson to back away, and it reported Grayson threatened to shoot her and fired three times, striking her.
Patch reported Grayson sought early medical release from prison and a new trial and a sentence reduction, but WCIA reported all three requests were denied, with Grayson’s colon cancer described as Stage 4 as of July.
Family and officials react
Massey’s family attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci said Grayson’s death in custody from cancer “does not bring Sonya back,” in a prepared statement carried by Patch.
Patch quoted the statement saying, “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,” and it added, “We wish his family prayers of peace, as we do for all who grieve a loved one.”
ABC7 Chicago reported the Illinois Prisoner Review Board spokesperson said, "I am writing to confirm that the Board voted 3-0 to deny Sean Grayson's medical release application," and it said Grayson would remain in custody.
ABC7 Chicago also described how the board’s decision followed Grayson’s stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis and his request for early release in July, while it said Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s office opposed release.
In the same reporting, ABC7 Chicago quoted Massey’s cousin Sontae Massey saying the family was relieved but had to “stay on guard,” and it said the family expected Grayson to “apply again and again and again.”
Law changes and fallout
The Massey case helped drive Illinois policy changes, with NBC News reporting Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Sonya Massey Act requiring stricter background checks for law enforcement hires and that it went into effect at the beginning of the year.
“Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Sonya Massey Act, a law requiring stricter background checks for law enforcement hires”
NBC News also said Sangamon County officials agreed in early 2025 to pay a $10 million settlement to Massey’s family, and it described the shooting as setting off protests and calls for justice.
ABC7 Chicago reported the board’s denial came after Grayson was sentenced to 20 years in prison in January and after the prisoner review board last month unanimously denied early release, with the spokesperson saying the board voted 3-0.
NBC News tied the case to broader scrutiny of policing and emergency response, noting the Justice Department opened a civil rights investigation and later reached an agreement requiring changes including additional training for interactions with people with behavioral health disabilities and a mobile crisis response program.
In Patch’s account, the Massey case forced the premature retirement of Sheriff Jack Campbell, and it said the family was granted a $10 million civil settlement from the county.