Former Illinois deputy serving murder sentence dies at 32 after cancer diagnosis

Sean Grayson, a former deputy sheriff in Sangamon County, Illinois, died on Sunday at the age of 32, his attorney told NBC News and CBS News. Grayson was serving a 20-year term for second-degree murder after being convicted of fatally shooting Sonya Massey in her Springfield home in July 2024. He had been diagnosed with stage-three colon cancer in 2023, which had metastasized to his liver and lungs, and had been denied a medical release by the state prisoner review board earlier in the year.

The shooting occurred after Massey called 911 to report a possible prowler. Body-camera footage showed Grayson and another deputy entering her residence, where Massey retrieved a pot of boiling water. Grayson testified that he feared the water would be thrown at him after Massey said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” He pointed his firearm at her, warned she would be shot, and then fired three rounds, striking the 36-year-old mother in the face.

During the trial, prosecutors highlighted that Grayson had not offered medical assistance to Massey. At sentencing, Grayson apologized for the killing. In a later petition for early release on medical grounds, he claimed Massey had “attacked me with a pot of boiling water.” The county state’s attorney opposed the petition, describing early release as “a miscarriage of justice” and “an insult to Sonya Massey’s memory and family.”

The case prompted protests and led to legislative action, including the Sonya Massey Act signed by Governor J.B. Pritzker, which mandates stricter background checks for law-enforcement hires. Sangamon County also agreed to a $10 million settlement with Massey’s family in early 2025.

“Sonya was innocent, unarmed, and calling law enforcement for help,” Pritzker said in a statement. “It was a painful reminder that too many innocent Black Americans have faced this kind of violence – and they deserve justice.”