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)
Article Summary
- Former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson was convicted of second-degree murder in the shooting of Sonya Massey.
- Grayson is undergoing treatment for Stage 4 colon cancer that has spread to his liver and lungs.
- Defense lawyers asked a judge to postpone a hearing to reconsider his prison sentence. Grayson attorneys have asked that the hearing be moved to May 8.
This summary was written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.
A motion filed Thursday indicates that the former Sangamon County deputy convicted of second-degree murder for shooting an unarmed woman is receiving medical treatment at an undisclosed location.
In the motion filed in Sangamon County Circuit Court, Sean Grayson’s lawyers stated he is currently receiving medical treatment outside of an Illinois Department of Corrections facility.
“Counsel for the Illinois Department of Corrections has advised counsel for defendant that it is unknown at this time how long the defendant will be undergoing medical treatment,” the motion stated.
Grayson’s attorneys asked that a hearing on a motion to reduce his 20-year prison sentence that was scheduled for Friday be moved to May 8 to accommodate his medical treatments.
Grayson has battled colon cancer for years, but last month, his attorney Mark Wykoff said in court that the cancer had spread to his liver and lungs. Doctors have also diagnosed Grayson with rectal cancer.
While he was awaiting trial, deputies transported Grayson from the Macon County Jail in Decatur, where he was being held, to a Springfield hospital weekly to receive treatments.
IDOC confirmed that Grayson is in their custody, but remain mum on his whereabouts, keeping his location off a website used to locate individuals in IDOC custody.
Capitol News Illinois reported last month that Grayson was serving his sentence at a prison out of state, citing a person close to the case.
Grayson’s killing of Sonya Massey drew nationwide attention, even prompting then U.S. President Joe Biden to call for further police reform.
One expert explained that IDOC needs to shield Grayson’s location for security purposes as his status as a high-profile person and a former law enforcement officer could make him a target to other inmates.
Grayson’s security concerns and medical needs could make it difficult to place him in an in-state facility and he may need to be moved out of state or to a private facility that houses incarcerated people who are ill, the expert said.
Grayson was convicted of the second-degree murder of Sonya Massey by a Peoria County jury. The case was moved there to find jurors who could be impartial despite the intense media coverage.
On Jan. 29, Grayson received a 20-year prison sentence during a hearing in Sangamon County. IDOC took him into custody hours later.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
