Sean Grayson's Death Raises Questions About Justice After Sonya Massey Case

Sean Grayson, the Illinois police officer convicted of the murder of Sonya Massey, has died six months into his prison sentence. He was 32.

The former Sangamon County Sheriff's Office deputy died on Sunday, August 23, at around noon, his attorney, Daniel Fultz, confirmed to NBC News and NPR Illinois.

In October 2025, Grayson was convicted of second-degree murder over the fatal shooting of Massey, 36, inside her home in July 2024. Massey, a Black woman, had called 911 to report a suspected prowler. She was shot by Grayson three times. He alleged he feared that she would scald him with a pot of boiling water she had taken off the stove.