Sean Grayson, convicted in Sonya Massey killing, dies in prison

Sean Grayson, the former police officer convicted of second-degree murder in the 2024 shooting death of Sonya Massey, died in prison on Sunday, August 24, 2026, at age 32, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections and his lawyer Daniel Fultz. Grayson had been undergoing treatment for colon cancer, which he was diagnosed with in 2023. In recent months, he applied for release on medical grounds but was unsuccessful.

Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman, was shot dead during an incident at her home in Springfield, Illinois, about 200 miles south of Chicago, in the early hours of July 2024, after she called police reporting a suspected intruder. According to the official record, Massey and Grayson appeared to laugh over her pot of steaming hot water before she twice said: "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus." Grayson then said: "You better [expletive] not or I swear to God I'll [expletive] shoot you in your [expletive] face." He drew his pistol as he shouted for her to drop the pot and fired three shots, striking Massey in the face.

Grayson was charged with first-degree murder, but the jury was allowed to convict him of the lesser charge of second-degree murder. He was found guilty of second-degree murder in 2025 and sentenced to 20 years in prison. He was subsequently sacked from his job.

The killing reignited national debate about police brutality. Protests took place across the United States in the aftermath of Massey's death. Then-President Joe Biden declared that Sonya Massey "should be alive today."

Lawyers for Massey's family said: "Grayson's death in custody from cancer does not bring Sonya back. We wish his family prayers of peace, as we do for all who grieve a loved one. Sonya's family knows that pain all too well and will grieve her loss the rest of their days."