Former deputy convicted of murdering Sonya Massey denied early release

Sean Grayson was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Sean Grayson, the former Illinois sheriff's deputy who was convicted of second-degree murder in the fatal 2024 shooting of Sonya Massey, was on Friday unanimously denied early release by a prisoner review board.

"I am writing to confirm that the Board voted 3-0 to deny Sean Grayson's medical release application," an Illinois Prisoner Review Board spokesperson said in a statement to ABC News. "He will remain in custody."

Grayson, who served in Sangamon County, had asked for an early release because he has stage 4 colon cancer. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison in January, after his conviction last October.

The Sangamon County State's Attorney's office had also opposed Grayson's release, saying he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer before the shooting and his temper could pose a risk to the public.

Sonya Massey’s cousin, Sontae Massey, told ABC News in an interview after the board's announcement that the family is relieved, but said the family has to "stay on guard."

"We'll take these small victories, but we know we've got an uphill battle ahead of us because he can turn around and he can apply again and again and again. I think that he will not stop until he is out," Sontae Massey said. "We have to make sure that he is denied each and every time."

The former Sangamon County deputy fatally shot Sonya Massey, 36, in July 2024 after she called 911 to report a possible intruder at her home in Springfield, Illinois.

Massey's family told ABC News on Thursday that they fought for him to stay behind bars.

"I don't think I've seen one day since the day she died that I haven't cried," Donna Massey, Sonya Massey's mother, said. "I've never been depressed before. Now, I'm depressed all the time, especially when they keep dragging us through the mud."

Sonya Massey's son, Malachi Massey, echoed his grandmother's sentiments in the family's interview with ABC News.

"It's not registering with me why he would want compassion because, like, say for instance, roles was reversed, or like, I was in his shoes, would he want compassion for us? No, he would not," he said. "And did he have compassion for my mother throughout that whole time? No, he did not."

According to body camera footage from Grayson's partner on the night of the shooting, Grayson, who was inside Massey's home, asked her to turn off a pot of boiling water on the stove. Once she was near the stove, he pointed to the pot and said, "walk away from your hot steaming water."

Massey then appeared to pour the water into the sink and repeated the deputy's phrase before saying, "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus," according to the video.

Grayson threatened to shoot her and Massey apologized before ducking down behind a counter and covering her face with what appeared to be a red oven mitt, the video shows. As she briefly rose, Grayson shot her three times in the face, the footage shows.

"Three shots is intent to kill," Donna Massey said in the interview with ABC News. "One shot, maybe he could get away with, but three shots is intent to kill, and he does not deserve to be running around here."

The former deputy said in court testimony that after he asked her to turn off the stove with the pot of boiling water, he thought she was threatening him and was going to throw the water at him.

Attorneys for the Massey family claimed she was experiencing a mental health crisis and posed no threat.

In his handwritten request for release to the Illinois Prison Review Board, which Capitol News Illinois reported they obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, Grayson maintained Massey attacked him.

The footage released by Illinois State Police shows the incident from the partner's point of view because Grayson did not turn his own body camera on until after the shooting, according to court documents reviewed by ABC News.

ABC News' Sabina Ghebremedhin contributed to this report.

Sponsored Content by Taboola