Key facts
- Sean Grayson, former Illinois deputy convicted of killing Sonya Massey, died Sunday in prison.
- Grayson was serving a 20-year sentence for second-degree murder.
- Sonya Massey was killed in July 2024 after reporting a suspected intruder at her home.
- Body camera footage showed Massey apologizing before Grayson shot her.
- The Sonya Massey Act was passed in Illinois requiring stricter background checks for law enforcement hires.
- Sangamon County agreed to a $10 million settlement for Massey's family.
Sean Grayson, a former Illinois sheriff's deputy convicted of the second-degree murder of Sonya Massey, died Sunday in prison at age 32 while serving a 20-year sentence. His attorney, Daniel Fultz, confirmed his death. Grayson had been diagnosed with stage three colon cancer in 2023. He was six months into his sentence for the fatal shooting of Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman, in July 2024. Massey had called 911 to report a prowler at her Springfield, Illinois, home when Grayson and another deputy responded. Body camera footage showed Massey apologizing moments before Grayson shot her in the face. Grayson testified he believed Massey was going to throw boiling water at him after she said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” which he perceived as a threat. The other responding deputy testified he did not consider Massey a threat and only drew his weapon after Grayson did. The case sparked protests over systemic racism and led to a U.S. Justice Department review. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed the Sonya Massey Act, requiring stricter background checks for law enforcement hires. Sangamon County officials also agreed to a $10 million settlement for Massey’s family. Grayson had previously been denied medical release by the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. State's attorney John Milhiser opposed early release, calling it "a miscarriage of justice" and "an insult to Sonya Massey’s memory and family."