Key facts
- Sean Grayson, a former Illinois sheriff's deputy, was denied early medical release from his 20-year sentence for killing Sonya Massey.
- Grayson was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer.
- The Illinois Prisoner Review Board voted unanimously to deny his request.
- Massey's killing sparked protests over systemic racism and a US justice department review.
- Grayson was convicted of second-degree murder for shooting Massey in her face.
- State's attorney John Milhiser and Massey's family attorneys opposed the release.
A former Illinois sheriff's deputy, Sean Grayson, has been denied early medical release from his 20-year prison sentence for the killing of Sonya Massey. Grayson, who has been diagnosed with advanced colon cancer, sought release six months into his sentence. The Illinois Prisoner Review Board voted unanimously on Friday to deny his application, a decision supported by the state's attorney and Massey's family attorneys.
Grayson was convicted in October of second-degree murder for shooting Massey, a 36-year-old single mother, in the face inside her Springfield home. The incident occurred after Massey called 911 about a possible prowler. Body-camera footage showed Grayson and another deputy entering Massey's home before the shooting. Grayson received the maximum sentence of 20 years in January.
In his application for release, Grayson apologized for Massey's death but claimed she had attacked him with a pot of boiling water. However, Sangamon county state's attorney John Milhiser argued in a letter to the board that Grayson's medical condition was considered during sentencing and that releasing him would be a miscarriage of justice and an insult to Massey's memory.
Attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, representing Massey's family, stated that the board's decision was correct and that "a badge does not provide an early way out." Democratic Governor JB Pritzker commented that Illinois law requires the board to consider medical release requests and described Massey's killing as "a profound loss," emphasizing that she was innocent, unarmed, and seeking help.