Sonya Massey's killer Sean Grayson dies in US prison - BBC News

The former police officer, whose crime reignited the debate about US police brutality, was undergoing treatment for cancer.

Image source, ReutersByJames FitzGeraldPublished24 August 2026Updated 5 hours agoSean Grayson, the white US police officer convicted of murdering a black woman, Sonya Massey, during an incident at her home in 2024, has died in prison at age 32.

Grayson shot dead Massey, 36, during an exchange that took place after she reported a suspected intruder at her residence in Illinois. The killing reignited the debate about police brutality in the US.

Grayson said he fired because he thought Massey was about to throw a pot of boiling water on him. He was last year found guilty of second-degree murder.

The former police officer was undergoing treatment for colon cancer. His lawyer Daniel Fultz confirmed to the BBC that Grayson had died on Sunday, but did not disclose the cause.

The Illinois Department of Corrections said it could only confirm that Grayson had died at a facility outside the state, and likewise did not provide a cause.