The former sheriff’s deputy convicted in the death of Sonya Massey has died in prison.
Sean Grayson had been sentenced to 20 years behind bars for the second-degree murder of the 36-year-old Black woman inside her Springfield, Illinois, home, The Associated Press reported.
Massey had called law enforcement to report a possible prowler outside her home in July 2024. Body camera footage showed her final moments — her moving a pot of hot water from a stove, telling the deputies “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” Grayson pulling out his gun and ordering her to put down the pot, then her crouching in her kitchen and apologizing before Grayson shot her in the face, the AP reported.
NBC News said Grayson pulled the trigger three times, hitting her.
The other deputy who was with Grayson said he didn’t think Massey was a threat and only pulled out his gun after Grayson did.
Grayson was fired after the shooting and charged with first-degree murder. Jurors found him guilty of second-degree murder after he claimed he was afraid that Massey would throw the hot water at him.
The former deputy was convicted last October and sentenced in January to the maximum penalty.
He had been diagnosed with colon cancer before Massey was killed. At the sentencing, his legal team said cancer had spread to his liver and lungs. He had requested to be released from prison due to the diagnosis, but the Illinois Prisoner Review Board denied the request, the AP reported.
His lawyer announced his death, saying he died around noon on Aug. 23, NBC News reported. It is not clear if cancer was the cause of death, the news outlet noted.
Grayson was less than a year into his sentence.
Sangamon County agreed to a $10 million settlement for Massey’s family.
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