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Sonya Massey’s family responds after murderer Sean Grayson dies in prison
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The family of Sonya Massey has shared a statement after Sean Grayson, the former Sangamon County sheriff's deputy convicted of killing her inside her Illinois home, died while serving his prison sentence.
Grayson passed away on Sunday, August 23, according to his attorney, Daniel L. Fultz.
The 32-year-old had been battling advanced cancer and was undergoing treatment.
His death came just weeks after the Illinois Prisoner Review Board rejected his request for medical release.
Sonya Massey's family responds
Attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci issued a statement on behalf of Massey's family following news of Grayson's death.
"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," it read.
Grayson had been serving a 20-year prison sentence, followed by two years of mandatory supervised release, after a Peoria County jury convicted him of second-degree murder last October.
He had initially faced a first-degree murder charge before the nine-woman, three-man jury received instructions allowing it to consider the lesser charge.
In January, Seventh Circuit Presiding Judge Ryan Cadagin, who oversaw the trial, sentenced Grayson to the maximum 20-year term.
Before being sentenced, Grayson asked Massey's family for forgiveness while saying he accepted their anger.
Grayson was denied medical release weeks before his death
The ex-cop's death came a little over three weeks after a hearing before the Illinois Prisoner Review Board.
He tried to get early release under an Illinois statute enacted in 2022 that allows prisoners with terminal illnesses or advanced medical conditions to apply for release.
The board rejected his request in a 3-0 vote and did not comment on the case after hearing testimony.
Grayson had been diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer in 2023 and was later diagnosed with Stage 4 rectal cancer as well as cancer in his liver and lungs.
What happened to Sonya Massey?
Massey, a 36-year-old mother of two, called 911 on July 6, 2024, to report a possible intruder outside her home in the Cabbage Patch neighborhood.
Grayson and fellow officer Dawson Farley responded to the call.
While inside the home, Grayson instructed Massey to remove a pot of hot water from the stove. As she held the pot, Massey said: "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus."
Grayson later wrote in his official report: "I interpreted this to mean she was going to kill me."
Body-worn camera footage from Farley captured what happened next. Grayson's own camera had not been activated for most of the encounter and was turned on only after the shooting.
In Farley's footage, Grayson can be heard telling Massey: "You'd better f***ing not. I swear to God, I'll f***ing shoot you right in your f***ing face."
He then raised his weapon and ordered Massey to "drop the f***ing pot!"
"OK, I'm sorry," Massey said before ducking behind her kitchen counter.
According to prosecutors, Grayson then shot Massey. Three shots were fired, and Massey was struck once in the face.
She was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Grayson's former partner testified he did not see Massey as a threat
Farley later testified during Grayson's trial that he had not been afraid of Massey during the encounter.
Although he said he was confused when Massey said "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus," Farley testified that he did not interpret her words as a threat.
He also told jurors that he only unholstered his gun because Grayson had done so, and that during the call he feared Grayson rather than Massey.
Grayson was fired and arrested on murder charges within weeks of Massey's death.
Questions later emerged over his hiring history, as before joining the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office in May 2023, Grayson had worked for six different agencies in four years.
His previous record included two DUIs, a discharge from the U.S. Army for "serious misconduct," and complaints from members of the public and other law enforcement officers.
Details of that previous employment history were excluded from his murder trial.
Sangamon Sheriff Jack Campbell later retired following pressure from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker to resign, per USA Today.
The sheriff's office and county also agreed to update procedures and training for interactions with people experiencing mental health crises as part of the resolution of a federal Department of Justice probe.
In May, Cadagin rejected a motion to reconsider Grayson's sentence, sending the case to the Fourth District Appellate Court.