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Former Illinois deputy convicted in Sonya Massey killing dies in prison

Sean Grayson, who was serving a 20-year sentence for second-degree murder, had recently been denied medical release for cancer.

Updated Aug 24, 2026 · 02:16 UTC4 reports

The short version

Sean Grayson, the former Sangamon County deputy convicted of killing Sonya Massey, died in prison on Sunday at age 32.
Grayson was roughly six months into a 20-year maximum sentence for second-degree murder stemming from the July 2024 shooting.
His defense attorney confirmed the death but did not specify an official cause, following the state's recent denial of Grayson's request for medical release due to advanced cancer.

Defense attorney Daniel Fultz confirmed that 32-year-old Sean Grayson died in prison around noon on Sunday.[CBS News · Associated Press · NBC News]
Grayson was serving a 20-year prison sentence following his second-degree murder conviction for fatally shooting 36-year-old Sonya Massey inside her home in July 2024.[Associated Press · ABC News]
Prior to his death, Grayson had been diagnosed with colon cancer, and his attorneys stated at sentencing that the disease had metastasized to his liver and lungs.[CBS News · Associated Press · ABC News]
The Illinois Prisoner Review Board denied Grayson's request for medical release under state terminal illness provisions in July.[CBS News · Associated Press · NBC News]
The fatal shooting led to the passage of the Sonya Massey Act in Illinois and prompted a federal civil rights agreement mandating policing and crisis response reforms in Sangamon County.[Associated Press · ABC News]

The official cause of death has not been released, and it is not yet confirmed whether Grayson died directly from complications of his cancer.[CBS News · NBC News]