started · updated
Sean Grayson, former deputy convicted of killing Sonya Massey, dies in prison
Sean Grayson, a former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy, died in prison on August 23 while serving a 20-year sentence for the second-degree murder of Sonya Massey. Grayson, 32, was convicted last October for the July 2024 shooting of Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman, inside her Springfield-area home. Body camera footage of the incident showed Massey crouching in her kitchen and apologizing moments before Grayson fired three shots at her.
Grayson had been battling stage 4 colon cancer that had metastasized to his liver and lungs. In May, he sought medical release under Illinois law for terminal illnesses, but his request was unanimously denied by the Illinois Prisoner Review Board in late July.
Massey’s death became a major national flashpoint regarding police use of force and led to the passage of the Sonya Massey Act in Illinois, which mandates more rigorous background checks for law enforcement applicants. The family of Massey expressed a mix of relief and continued grief, noting that his death does not bring her back and that they believe true justice would have required him to serve his full sentence.
Entities
Daniel Fultz · Illinois Department of Corrections · Illinois Prisoner Review Board · Sangamon County Sheriff's Office · Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office · Sean Grayson · Sonya Massey · Springfield, Illinois
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 32 SOURCES] Grayson was convicted of second-degree murder for the killing of Sonya Massey. www.illinoistimes.com · www.europesays.com · www.kvom.com · nczas.info · offthepress.com · +27 more
- [● 31 SOURCES] A state panel unanimously denied Grayson’s request for medical release in July. www.illinoistimes.com · www.wbez.org · chicago.suntimes.com · www.europesays.com · www.kvom.com · +26 more
- [● 32 SOURCES] Grayson was serving a 20-year prison sentence. www.illinoistimes.com · www.wbez.org · chicago.suntimes.com · www.europesays.com · www.kvom.com · +27 more
- [● 32 SOURCES] Grayson shot Sonya Massey three times while she was behind a kitchen counter. www.wbez.org · chicago.suntimes.com · www.europesays.com · www.kvom.com · nczas.info · +27 more
- [● 32 SOURCES] Grayson was battling stage 4 rectal cancer that had spread to his liver and lungs. www.illinoistimes.com · www.wbez.org · chicago.suntimes.com · www.europesays.com · www.kvom.com · +27 more
- [● 21 SOURCES] Sean Grayson died in custody on August 23. www.illinoistimes.com · www.europesays.com · www.kvom.com · pulptastic.com · offthepress.com · +16 more