White cop won't get early release for murdering black woman who dialed 911 after he told prison that his colon cancer has now spread to his heart and lungs

Published: 23:20, 31 July 2026 | Updated: 23:22, 31 July 2026 A white former sheriff’s deputy that gunned down a black woman in her home after she called 911 for help has been denied early release, despite revealing that his cancer diagnosis has taken a grave turn for the worse.  Sean Grayson, 32, sought a compassionate release less than four months after beginning his 20 year sentence for shooting Sonya Massey inside her Springfield, Illinois, home. The Illinois Prisoner Review Board voted unanimously on Friday to reject his request after hearing testimony from Massey’s family, Capitol News Illinois reported. Grayson was convicted of second-degree murder in October and handed the maximum 20-year sentence in January for the July 2024 killing. His attorney Mark Wykoff told the court at sentencing that Grayson had been diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer in 2023, before he shot Massey. The disease has since progressed to Stage 4 and spread to his liver and lungs. An Illinois Department of Corrections medical professional concluded that Grayson was likely to die within 18 months, according to medical-release files obtained by Capitol News Illinois. But Grayson did not select terminal illness as the reason for his request, instead applying under a provision covering prisoners expected to become medically incapacitated within six months. Sean Grayson, 32, was denied early medical release from his 20-year sentence for killing Sonya Massey Sonya Massey, 36, was shot inside her Springfield, Illinois, home after calling 911 to report a possible prowler Grayson also continued to portray Massey as the aggressor of the incident that led to her death.  ‘The female Sony Massey invited me inside,’ Grayson wrote, appearing to misspell her first name, before claiming she had ‘attacked me with a pot of boiling water.’ But body-camera footage showed that several feet and a kitchen island separated Grayson and the 36-year-old single mother when he opened fire. Massey called 911 in the early hours of July 6, 2024, because she believed a prowler was lurking outside her home. Grayson and another Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy searched the property but found no intruder before entering the home to question her. He then directed Massey to remove a pot of boiling water from the stove, telling her: ‘We don’t need a fire alarm here.’ As the other deputy stepped away from the pot, Massey told the officers: ‘I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.’ Grayson responded: ‘I’ll fing shoot you right in the fing face,’ and drew his gun. Body-camera footage showed Grayson pointing his gun at Massey moments before shooting her in the face Grayson claimed Massey attacked him with boiling water, although several feet and a kitchen island separated them Massey apologized and dropped to the floor, but Grayson moved toward her and fired three times, Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser wrote in a letter to the review board. One bullet struck Massey in the head and killed her. Grayson did not activate his body camera until after he fired, although the other deputy’s camera captured the shooting, according to Capitol News Illinois. He apologized at sentencing but maintained in his medical-release application that Massey had attacked him. Grayson filed his request on May 20 under Illinois’ Joe Coleman Act, which allows prisoners with terminal illnesses or severe medical incapacity to seek compassionate release. The 2022 law was named after Joe Coleman, an 82-year-old decorated Army veteran who died of prostate cancer in prison. The review board could consider Grayson’s prognosis, whether he posed a danger, the cost of his medical care, statements from Massey’s relatives and whether his illness had been considered at sentencing. Milhiser urged the panel to keep Grayson behind bars, noting that he already had cancer when he killed Massey. ‘Critically, Grayson had cancer when he committed this murder and his medical condition was explicitly considered at sentencing,’ Milhiser wrote. ‘To release Grayson under these circumstances would be a miscarriage of justice and an insult to Sonya Massey’s memory and family.’ The prosecutor also argued that Grayson remained a danger despite his deteriorating health. ‘His temper and willingness to escalate minor misunderstandings into fatal encounters shows that he poses a danger to any person he comes into contact with,’ Milhiser wrote. Massey’s relatives testified against his release and argued that his application showed he continued to lack remorse, Capitol News Illinois reported. ‘He’s a killer,’ her cousin Sontae Massey previously told the outlet. Massey was a single mother of two who called 911 because she feared a prowler was outside her Illinois home ‘I apologize that he must suffer, but he has to pay for what he did.’ Protesters also gathered outside the review board’s Springfield office as the panel considered the request. Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, who represent Massey’s family, praised the decision. ‘Today the board recognized what this family has said from the start,’ they said in a statement. ‘No one is above accountability, and a badge does not provide an early way out.’ Illinois Governor JB Pritzker described Massey’s killing as ‘a profound loss.’ ‘Sonya was innocent, unarmed, and calling law enforcement for help,’ the Democrat said. ‘It was a painful reminder that too many innocent Black Americans have faced this kind of violence - and they deserve justice.’ Grayson appeared to have lost between 40 and 50 pounds by the time of his October trial, Capitol News Illinois reported. Prison records listed Taylorville Correctional Center as his parent institution and projected that he would be discharged in July 2036. Newly released video showed Sean Grayson predicting that he would be freed and claiming he had been jailed for his own safety after shooting Sonya Massey in July 2024 His application did not identify where he would live if released. Illinois approved compassionate medical release for 34 of its roughly 30,000 prisoners in 2024, according to the Department of Corrections. Eight others who qualified remained incarcerated because officials could not find approved places for them to live. Daniel Fultz, an attorney who has represented Grayson, declined to comment on Friday. Massey’s killing triggered nationwide protests, a US Department of Justice review and renewed scrutiny of police hiring practices. Sangamon County later agreed to pay her family $10 million to settle a wrongful-death claim.