Deputy Convicted of Killing Sonya Massey Dies at 32

Six months after beginning a 20-year prison term for killing Sonya Massey in her Illinois home, former sheriff's deputy Sean Grayson is dead, his lawyer says. Attorney Daniel Fultz told the AP that Grayson, 32, died Sunday; he did not disclose a cause of death. In 2023, Grayson was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer, which had progressed to stage 4 at the time of his January sentencing, People reports. He was denied an early medical release last month after citing a medical professional who described his cancer as "incurable," per KSDK.

Grayson was convicted of second-degree murder for the July 2024 shooting of 36-year-old Massey in Springfield. Massey had called 911 about a possible intruder; body-camera video showed Grayson threatening to shoot her as she moved a pot of hot water, then firing three times and striking her in the head, per the Washington Post. The case sparked protests and led Illinois lawmakers to pass the Sonya Massey Act, tightening police hiring standards. Massey's family strongly opposed Grayson's early release, with her mother calling him "a menace to society" who "should not be walking around."