Former deputy in Sonya Massey killing serving prison sentence, but state
officials won’t say where
[February 24, 2026]
By Beth Hundsdorfer
Former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson, who was convicted
last year of shooting an unarmed woman, has begun serving his 20-year
prison sentence with the Illinois Department of Corrections in an
undisclosed location.
IDOC confirmed that Grayson, 31, is in their custody but won’t confirm
his whereabouts. A source close to the case said he has been moved out
of state.
“For safety and security purposes, the Department will not discuss
details concerning Individual Grayson,” an IDOC spokesman said in an
email Thursday.
This could be for a number of reasons, including the high-profile nature
of the crime, the fact that Grayson was a police officer, or that he is
suffering from advanced forms of cancer and needs specialized care, one
expert said.
“These types of individuals provide a special risk because there are
plenty of people who will want to put out a hit on them or injure them
simply because it will give them notoriety and status within the prison
population,” said Lenard Vare, a former prison administrator and warden
in the California and Nevada correctional systems who now works as a
private consultant.
Grayson’s killing of an unarmed Sonya Massey in her kitchen drew
nationwide attention, following the cases of George Floyd in Minneapolis
and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2020, making Grayson’s
prosecution and eventual conviction national news.
Grayson was sentenced Jan. 29, three months after a jury convicted him
of second-degree murder, and IDOC took him into custody that afternoon,
according to Sangamon County Sheriff Paula Crouch.
Grayson’s name does not show up in the Illinois Department of
Corrections online search for inmates.
Secrecy is not unusual
Once in their custody, IDOC would consider Grayson a high-profile inmate
with unique security risks, Vare said. Corrections officials typically
move high-profile inmates, like Grayson, to federal or even out-of-state
facilities where media coverage has been less intense, he said.
Legal agreements between states, known as interstate compact agreements,
allow for these moves for security and other considerations, Vare said.
Disclosing Grayson’s whereabouts could make it more difficult for IDOC
to retain that placement or to place him in the future. Under the
interstate compact, a state may choose whether to accept an inmate from
another state based on security or other placement concerns.
Grayson’s status as a former law enforcement officer would also make him
a security risk in the general prison population, Vare said.
Grayson shares notoriety and former law enforcement status with former
Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke, who was also convicted of
second-degree murder in the shooting of Laquan McDonald in 2016. Van
Dyke was sentenced to 81 months in prison. IDOC released Van Dyke in
2022, after he served less than half of his sentence in a prison outside
of Illinois.
What happened that night?
Grayson and his partner responded to Sonya Massey’s home the night of
July 6, 2024, after she called 911 to report a prowler. Family members
have said that Massey, a Black woman, was suffering from a mental health
crisis.
During the call, Grayson, and his partner cleared the outside of the
house, finding no prowler, but entered Massey’s home to question her
further. During that exchange and under Grayson’s direction, Massey went
to the stove to remove a pot of boiling water.
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Sean Grayson, former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy, was convicted
in October 2025 of second-degree murder in the shooting death of
Sonya Massey. (Source: Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department)
As Massey did so she said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”
Grayson responded, “I’ll f—ing shoot you right in the f—ing face” and
drew his gun. Seconds later, Grayson fired three times, fatally wounding
Massey with one shot in the head.
Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser charged Grayson with
first-degree murder in the days after the shooting.
Following Massey’s death, questions emerged related to Grayson’s hiring.
Media reported he received a general discharge from the Army, was twice
convicted of driving under the influence and received verbal discipline
related to an unauthorized high-speed chase and insubordination when he
worked at the Logan County Sheriff’s Office.
Then-Sheriff Jack Campbell retired amid controversy over Grayson’s
hiring, but recently defended the decision, stating the hiring was based
on the information he had available to him.
Judge Ryan Cadagin moved Grayson’s trial to Peoria County due to
pre-trial publicity after Grayson’s attorneys asserted that he would not
get a fair trial in Sangamon County. In October, a Peoria County jury
found the former deputy guilty of second-degree murder.
He is battling cancer
In addition to the safety concerns because of his notoriety, Grayson
requires medical treatment for the colon cancer he has been battling for
years.
At his sentencing last month, Grayson’s attorney Mark Wykoff said the
cancer had progressed and spread to his liver and lungs. Doctors have
also diagnosed Grayson with rectal cancer.
While he was in the Macon County Jail in Decatur awaiting trial, records
showed that deputies drove Grayson to a Springfield hospital where he
received weekly treatments.
Any state considering accepting Grayson into their correctional system
would have reviewed his medical records to determine whether they could
medically accommodate him, Vare said.
There are also private facilities that accept inmates with challenging
medical conditions that may accept Grayson in exchange for state
payment.
“It’s kind of a rent-a-bed situation,” Vale said.
Life expectancy with Stage 4 colon cancer varies, but the five-year
survival rate when the cancer has spread to liver and lungs is around
13%, according to the American Cancer Association.
With time already served in county jail and if he receives day-for-day
credit for good behavior, Grayson would be eligible for release in 8 ½
years.
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