Sonya Massey’s killer Sean Grayson dead at 32 after cancer battle
A former Illinois sheriff’s deputy, Sean Grayson, known for killing Sonya Massey in 2024, died on Sunday after battling Stage 4 colon cancer. Grayson was 32 and serving a 20-year sentence for second-degree murder, convicted in October 2025 for shooting Massey in her home after responding to a 911 call. The incident sparked nationwide protests, with activists highlighting its racial implications, as Massey was Black and Grayson was White. During the incident, Massey was holding a pot of boiling water, which Grayson claimed was threatening him, and he shot her after she acted erratically. Bodycam footage showed Massey warning Grayson she would shoot him, and he responded by pulling out his gun. Massey, who suffered from mental illness, had recently entered a 30-day inpatient program. She told responding officers she did not need medical aid after the shooting. Grayson passed away after his cancer diagnosis in 2023. The story has garnered widespread media attention, alongside other recent crime and legal developments.
A former Illinois sheriff’s deputy who gained notoriety for killing a woman in 2024 died on Sunday after battling Stage 4 colon cancer, according to his lawyer.
Attorney Daniel Fultz said Sean Grayson, 32, died after being diagnosed with cancer in 2023. At the time of his death, Grayson was six months into his 20-year prison sentence for second-degree murder, for which he was convicted in October 2025 after killing Sonya Massey in her home. Protests broke out nationwide following her death, as activists framed the incident as a racist killing. Massey was black, and Grayson was white.
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The incident in 2024 began when Massey made a 911 call over concerns about a possible prowler. Grayson responded and ultimately fatally shot her after saying she began acting erratically, picking up a pot of boiling water. Grayson argued he thought Massey was going to throw the scalding water on him, and testified that he ordered her to drop it after she rebuked him “in the name of Jesus.”
Bodycam video showed Massey holding the pot of water, while Grayson was heard yelling: “You’d better f****** not. I swear to God, I’ll f****** shoot you right in your f****** face.” Massey said, “I’m sorry,” after his warning, and ducked to the floor as he pulled out his gun.
Following the killing, Massey told the other police officer who responded to the call, Dawson Farley, that he didn’t need to use a medical kit to tend to Massey.
Farley testified that he never perceived Massey as a threat. Rather, he said he was afraid of Grayson.
Massey struggled with mental illness, according to her family. Shortly after her death on July 6, 2024, her son said he moved in with his father because she had admitted herself to a 30-day inpatient program in St. Louis during the week before her death.
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