Sean Grayson, convicted in killing of Sonya Massey, dies in prison, attorney says
Updated on: August 24, 2026 / 3:54 PM EDT / CBS Chicago Sean Grayson, the former Sangamon County sheriff's deputy convicted of murdering Sonya Massey in her home in 2024, died on Sunday. Fultz, who served as Grayson's attorney, confirmed the news on Sunday. The Illinois Department of Corrections on Monday confirmed Grayson died while being held at a facility outside of Illinois, but did not provide further details. Grayson, 32, had been battling Stage 4 colon cancer, for which he was undergoing treatment. Grayson was found guilty last October of second-degree murder for the shooting of Sonya Massey and was serving a 20-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections, which was to be followed by two years of mandatory supervised release.
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Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, the attorneys for Massey's family, responded to Grayson's death in a statement saying, in part, "Grayson's death in custody from cancer does not bring Sonya back.
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Updated on: August 24, 2026 / 3:54 PM EDT / CBS Chicago Sean Grayson, the former Sangamon County sheriff's deputy convicted of murdering Sonya Massey in her home in 2024, died on Sunday. Fultz, who served as Grayson's attorney, confirmed the news on Sunday. The Illinois Department of Corrections on Monday confirmed Grayson died while being held at a facility outside of Illinois, but did not provide further details. Grayson, 32, had been battling Stage 4 colon cancer, for which he was undergoing treatment. Grayson was found guilty last October of second-degree murder for the shooting of Sonya Massey and was serving a 20-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections, which was to be followed by two years of mandatory supervised release.