Illinois Prisoner Review Board denies medical release for officer convicted of killing Sonya Massey
The board voted unanimously to keep former deputy Sean Grayson in prison, rejecting his request for early release despite a terminal cancer diagnosis.
The Illinois Prisoner Review Board voted 3-0 on Friday to deny former Sangamon County deputy Sean Grayson’s request for medical release, keeping him incarcerated for a 20-year sentence after he was convicted of second-degree murder in the 2024 killing of Sonya Massey. Grayson had applied under the Joe Coleman Act, which allows release for inmates with terminal or medically incapacitating conditions, citing a Stage 4 colon cancer that has spread to his liver, lungs and rectum.
A medical evaluation attached to the application described Grayson’s cancer as “irreversible and incurable” and indicated he is likely to die within 18 months, but the doctor did not find him medically incapacitated because the illness does not prevent him from performing daily tasks.
"Grayson remains a danger to society," Sangamon County State’s Attorney John C. Milhiser wrote in a letter opposing the release, adding that the cancer diagnosis does not lessen the risk he poses.
Milhiser also recounted the circumstances of the shooting, noting that Massey had called to report a prowler, and after an exchange involving a pot of boiling water, Grayson fired three shots, killing her. The prosecutor said Massey’s family strongly opposed the release.
Grayson’s handwritten statement in the application claimed he acted in self-defense after being attacked with the pot, a narrative that contrasts with the court’s findings. The board’s unanimous decision means Grayson will continue serving his sentence while receiving medical care in prison.