Key Takeaways
- Sean Grayson, a former Illinois deputy, died in prison six months after his sentencing for killing Sonya Massey.
- Attorneys representing Sonya Massey’s family, Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, stated that Grayson’s death does not resolve the family’s loss.
- Grayson admitted that he made “terrible decisions” while speaking publicly for the first time at his sentencing in January.
Sean Grayson, who received a 20-year prison sentence for fatally shooting Sonya Massey, has died, his attorney, Daniel L. Fultz, confirmed Sunday (Aug. 23).
Fultz “declined to provide any further details,” AP News reported, though the former Illinois sheriff’s deputy had been diagnosed with colon cancer that later advanced to stage 4 and spread to his liver and lungs, as his legal team told Judge Ryan Cadigan at his sentencing in January. Grayson served only about six months of his 20-year sentence. Just last month, the Illinois Prisoner Review Board denied his request for medical release and ordered that he remain incarcerated.
Shortly after his death, Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, who represent Sonya’s family, reacted to the news in a joint statement. “Sonya Massey’s death was unjustifiable, and she should be alive today. Sean Grayson’s death in custody from cancer does not bring Sonya back,” they said. “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’s worth mentioning that authorities have not confirmed whether cancer was the cause of Grayson’s death at the time of publishing.
What led up to Sean Grayson fatally shooting Sonya Massey?
In July 2024, Sonya called police after believing someone may have been prowling outside her home. Grayson and another officer, Dawson Farley, responded and spoke with the mother of two shortly after 1 a.m. local time. Body camera footage showed Grayson telling her to move a pot of hot water from the stove before Sonya said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”
"You'd better f**king not. I swear to God, I'll f**king shoot you right in your f**king face,” Grayson reacted, followed by him drawing his gun and ordering her to drop the pot. Sonya apologized and crouched behind the kitchen counter before he fired three shots, one of which struck her in the face.
What Sean Grayson said at sentencing and how Sonya Massey’s family responded
As REVOLT reported, Grayson apologized in January and described his actions as “terrible decisions.” Speaking publicly for the first time, he said, “I was very unprofessional that night. She didn’t deserve to be yelled and cussed at, and called names. Nobody deserves that.”
Sonya’s daughter, Summer Massey, was unconvinced by his remarks. “It does not feel like he truly understands or cares about the damage he has caused,” she said. Meanwhile, the 36-year-old's son, Malachi Hill Massey, also weighed in: “My soul is ripped. It’s like a part of me is really dead.”
Last year, Crump and Romanucci secured a $10 million settlement over her wrongful death. While the attorneys and Massey’s family acknowledged that it brought “some measure of accountability and closure to those who loved her,” they also made clear that nothing could take away the “persistent pain, frustration, and grief” that Grayson caused.