Topline: Sean Grayson, the former Illinois deputy sentenced for fatally shooting Sonya Massey in her home, has died in prison while serving a 20-year sentence.
Published: August 26, 2026 11:34 am ET
Randy Shaw
I cut my teeth in journalism when I began looking into what I saw as abuses of power in my local government. From then on, I was hooked on the dopamine rush of uncovering information.
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CHICAGO, IL — Sean Grayson, the former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy convicted in the fatal 2024 shooting of Sonya Massey, died Sunday in prison while serving the maximum 20-year sentence he received earlier this year. He was 32.
According to WPXI’s Associated Press report, along with matching coverage from Boston 25 News and 10TV, Grayson’s attorney, Daniel Fultz, confirmed that Grayson died earlier Sunday but did not provide further details about the cause of death.
Grayson was convicted of second-degree murder in October after shooting Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman, inside her Springfield-area home on July 6, 2024. Massey had called 911 to report a possible prowler outside. Body camera video from the encounter showed her moving a pot of hot water from the stove, telling deputies, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” then apologizing and ducking behind a kitchen counter before Grayson fired three times and struck her in the face.
The deputy who responded with Grayson, Dawson Farley, later testified that he did not believe Massey was a threat and said he drew his own weapon only after Grayson pulled his gun. Prosecutors charged Grayson with first-degree murder, but jurors convicted him on the lesser count after he argued that he feared Massey would throw the hot water at him.
Grayson was sentenced in January to the full 20 years. Reports said he had been diagnosed with colon cancer before Massey’s killing and that the disease had spread to his liver and lungs. He sought medical release in May under an Illinois law for terminally ill or seriously ill prisoners, but the Illinois Prisoner Review Board denied that request last month.
Massey’s killing drew national protests and renewed scrutiny over police hiring and use-of-force practices. Illinois lawmakers later passed the Sonya Massey Act, requiring tighter review of an officer applicant’s prior employment history, and the U.S. Department of Justice reached an agreement with Sangamon County and local agencies that requires changes in policing and emergency response, including more training for encounters involving people with behavioral health disabilities and development of a mobile crisis response program.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Sean Grayson, Former Illinois Deputy Convicted in Sonya Massey Killing, Dies in Prison at 32
Sean Grayson, the former Illinois deputy sentenced for fatally shooting Sonya Massey in her home, has died in prison while serving a 20-year sentence.
By Randy Shaw
Published: August 26, 2026 11:34 am ET
CHICAGO, IL — Sean Grayson, the former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy convicted in the fatal 2024 shooting of Sonya Massey, died Sunday in prison while serving the maximum 20-year sentence he received earlier this year. He was 32.
According to WPXI’s Associated Press report, along with matching coverage from Boston 25 News and 10TV, Grayson’s attorney, Daniel Fultz, confirmed that Grayson died earlier Sunday but did not provide further details about the cause of death.
Grayson was convicted of second-degree murder in October after shooting Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman, inside her Springfield-area home on July 6, 2024. Massey had called 911 to report a possible prowler outside. Body camera video from the encounter showed her moving a pot of hot water from the stove, telling deputies, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” then apologizing and ducking behind a kitchen counter before Grayson fired three times and struck her in the face.
The deputy who responded with Grayson, Dawson Farley, later testified that he did not believe Massey was a threat and said he drew his own weapon only after Grayson pulled his gun. Prosecutors charged Grayson with first-degree murder, but jurors convicted him on the lesser count after he argued that he feared Massey would throw the hot water at him.
Grayson was sentenced in January to the full 20 years. Reports said he had been diagnosed with colon cancer before Massey’s killing and that the disease had spread to his liver and lungs. He sought medical release in May under an Illinois law for terminally ill or seriously ill prisoners, but the Illinois Prisoner Review Board denied that request last month.
Massey’s killing drew national protests and renewed scrutiny over police hiring and use-of-force practices. Illinois lawmakers later passed the Sonya Massey Act, requiring tighter review of an officer applicant’s prior employment history, and the U.S. Department of Justice reached an agreement with Sangamon County and local agencies that requires changes in policing and emergency response, including more training for encounters involving people with behavioral health disabilities and development of a mobile crisis response program.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Sean Grayson, Former Illinois Deputy Convicted in Sonya Massey Killing, Dies in Prison at 32
Sean Grayson, the former Illinois deputy sentenced for fatally shooting Sonya Massey in her home, has died in prison while serving a 20-year sentence.
By Randy Shaw
Published: August 26, 2026 11:34 am ET
CHICAGO, IL — Sean Grayson, the former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy convicted in the fatal 2024 shooting of Sonya Massey, died Sunday in prison while serving the maximum 20-year sentence he received earlier this year. He was 32.
According to WPXI’s Associated Press report, along with matching coverage from Boston 25 News and 10TV, Grayson’s attorney, Daniel Fultz, confirmed that Grayson died earlier Sunday but did not provide further details about the cause of death.
Grayson was convicted of second-degree murder in October after shooting Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman, inside her Springfield-area home on July 6, 2024. Massey had called 911 to report a possible prowler outside. Body camera video from the encounter showed her moving a pot of hot water from the stove, telling deputies, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” then apologizing and ducking behind a kitchen counter before Grayson fired three times and struck her in the face.
The deputy who responded with Grayson, Dawson Farley, later testified that he did not believe Massey was a threat and said he drew his own weapon only after Grayson pulled his gun. Prosecutors charged Grayson with first-degree murder, but jurors convicted him on the lesser count after he argued that he feared Massey would throw the hot water at him.
Grayson was sentenced in January to the full 20 years. Reports said he had been diagnosed with colon cancer before Massey’s killing and that the disease had spread to his liver and lungs. He sought medical release in May under an Illinois law for terminally ill or seriously ill prisoners, but the Illinois Prisoner Review Board denied that request last month.
Massey’s killing drew national protests and renewed scrutiny over police hiring and use-of-force practices. Illinois lawmakers later passed the Sonya Massey Act, requiring tighter review of an officer applicant’s prior employment history, and the U.S. Department of Justice reached an agreement with Sangamon County and local agencies that requires changes in policing and emergency response, including more training for encounters involving people with behavioral health disabilities and development of a mobile crisis response program.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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