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Sean Grayson, the former Illinois sheriff's deputy convicted of fatally shooting Sonya Massey in her home in 2024 after she called 911 to report an intruder, has died, his attorney confirmed.
On Sunday, August 23, Daniel Fultz, the attorney who represented Grayson during his murder trial, said he died around noon. He was six months into his 20-year sentence for second-degree murder.
Sean Grayson's cancer diagnosis
The 32-year-old was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer in 2023, and it had progressed to Stage 4 and spread to his liver, lungs and rectum, another defence attorney, Mark Wykoff, said at his sentencing in January.
In July, he was denied medical release by the Illinois Prisoner Review Board.
It was not immediately clear whether cancer is what caused Grayson's death.
The former deputy fatally shot Massey, 36, after he responded to her 911 call shortly before 1 a.m. July 6, 2024.
Grayson was convicted last year, as the shocking incident was captured on body camera video.
What happened during the 2024 incident?
During the 911 response, Massey picked up a pot of boiling water from her stove, prompting Grayson to back away, according to court testimony.
Grayson testified that he believed Massey was going to throw the boiling water on him after she said, "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus." When Grayson looked confused, Massey repeated the sentence.
He testified that he took the remark as a threat.
Grayson pointed his gun at Massey and threatened to shoot her, according to the body camera video. She apologised and dropped to the floor, but he fired three times, striking her.
About Sonya Massey Act
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Sonya Massey Act, a law requiring stricter background checks for law enforcement hires, and it went into effect at the beginning of the year.
Sangamon County officials agreed in early 2025 to pay a $10 million settlement to Massey's family.
