A former Sangamon County sheriff's deputy, Grayson shot and killed Sonya Massey in her home on July 6, 2024, after she called 911 about a possible prowler. A jury convicted him of second-degree murder, and he was sentenced to 20 years. He died in custody in August 2026 while his appeal was pending.
On Oct. 13, 2026, the Illinois Appellate Court's Fourth District, in Springfield, dismissed Grayson's appeal of his second-degree murder conviction, citing his Aug. 23 death, which made the appeal moot, the Illinois Times reported.6 The state had moved to dismiss, citing his death and that no appeals had been filed since May, according to court records reported by WICS.109 The Illinois Times, WICS and Capitol City Now reported that the conviction stands; Capitol City Now corrected an earlier version of its story to say so.6108 In September his lawyers had asked the court to vacate the conviction because he died before his appeal was decided, then withdrew that motion the next day, saying they would refile it with his death certificate; they never did, the Illinois Times reported.126
Early on July 6, 2024, Sonya Massey called 911 to report a prowler at her home in Woodside Township, near Springfield, and at about 12:50 a.m. Grayson and another Sangamon County deputy were sent to the house, according to the Fourth District Appellate Court’s 2024 order.125 Grayson’s body camera was off when they arrived; the other deputy’s camera recorded as they entered the backyard, the court wrote.1 The deputies searched for several minutes and found no one, but noticed that a car in the driveway had two broken windows.1
The deputies knocked, and about four minutes later Massey opened the door, appearing distraught and not thinking clearly, according to the court’s description of the video.1 The court noted that she was small and that Grayson was much larger and armed with his 9mm service pistol.1 Grayson asked whether she was “doing alright mentally” and questioned her about the car, which she said was not hers; the deputies followed her inside while she looked for identification.1
A pot of water was on a lit gas burner in the kitchen.1 Grayson pointed to the stove and said they did not need a fire while they were there; Massey turned off the burner and carried the pot to the sink, and Grayson said they were moving away from her “hot steaming water,” according to the order and ABC News’s account of the video.125 Massey twice said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”114 Grayson answered with a profane threat to shoot her in the face, drew his gun and repeatedly ordered her to drop the pot, and Massey apologized, the court wrote.1
According to the Illinois State Police use-of-force report quoted in the appellate order, Massey let go of the pot and crouched below the cabinet line, then stood and grabbed it again as Grayson advanced with his weapon raised.1 Grayson fired three times; one bullet struck Massey just below her left eye.1 The Illinois Times reported that the bullet severed her left carotid artery.21 The Sangamon County coroner said an autopsy found she died of a gunshot wound; she was pronounced dead at a hospital at 1:47 a.m.25
Grayson radioed for an ambulance and then turned on his body camera, the court wrote.1 When the other deputy said he would get his medical kit, Grayson said he could, but “that was a headshot,” and said there was “not much we can do.”1 The other deputy pressed a dish towel to the wound for several minutes until paramedics arrived; the court noted that a red bag, apparently the medical kit, was brought in but neither deputy used its contents.1 Grayson’s video also recorded him making disparaging remarks about Massey, the court wrote.1
The Illinois State Police report, dated July 15, 2024, found that the deputies were justified in pointing their weapons to gain compliance but that the shooting was not justified, according to the appellate order.1 The other deputy was not charged.18
State’s Attorney John Milhiser charged Grayson 11 days after the shooting, after reviewing the state police investigation and the video, Capitol News Illinois reported.13 A grand jury indicted him on July 17, 2024, on three counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated battery with a firearm and one count of official misconduct, and Sheriff Jack Campbell fired him the same day.12 He pleaded not guilty.25 At the request of Massey’s family and their lawyer, the release of the body camera video was moved to July 22, 2024, when the Illinois State Police published it on the State’s Attorney’s behalf.425
The Sangamon County circuit court ordered Grayson held before trial.2 On Nov. 27, 2024, the Fourth District reversed, holding that the state had not shown by clear and convincing evidence that no conditions of release could mitigate the danger he posed, and sent the case back for a hearing on conditions.1 The state appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court.2 Grayson remained in custody through trial.21 On Nov. 20, 2025, after the verdict, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal as moot and vacated both lower courts’ rulings so they would not stand as precedent.2
The jury was drawn from Peoria County because of pretrial publicity in Sangamon County, the Illinois Times reported.21 The other deputy testified that Massey did nothing to make him see her as a threat; on cross-examination he acknowledged he had first told investigators he feared for his safety because of the hot water, the Associated Press reported.20 The defense argued that he had lied when he later clarified that statement.21
Grayson testified that he saw that the bottom of the pot was red, believed Massey intended to throw the water at him and took her words as a threat, according to the AP.20 He testified that he moved closer because he wanted to handcuff her, and that he fired after she raised the pot overhead.21 Defense use-of-force experts testified that Massey was the aggressor; prosecution experts disputed that.21 Prosecutor Mary Beth Rodgers argued that Grayson lied on the stand and “provoked any use of force against himself.”21
With both sides’ agreement, Judge Ryan Cadagin let the jury consider second-degree murder.21 On Oct. 29, 2025, the jury convicted Grayson of second-degree murder rather than first-degree murder.2021 Under Illinois law, that verdict applies when a defendant honestly but unreasonably believed he was in danger, the AP reported, and the Illinois Times wrote that the jury found his conduct met the standard for first-degree murder but treated his belief that he acted in self-defense as mitigating.1821 First-degree murder would have carried a mandatory 45 years to life; second-degree murder carries four to 20 years, and probation is possible.2120
On Jan. 29, 2026, Judge Cadagin denied a defense motion for a new trial, in which Grayson’s lawyers argued that the jury should not have heard his remarks about Massey after the shooting.1719 Milhiser asked for the maximum.17 Defense lawyer Mark Wykoff asked for six years, telling the court that Grayson’s colon cancer had spread.1917 Grayson apologized and said he wished there was something he could do to bring Massey back.17 Massey’s mother told the court she is now afraid to call the police “in fear that I might end up like Sonya,” and her two children also spoke.18 Cadagin sentenced Grayson to 20 years, the maximum, and two years of supervised release, telling him, “You said you were going to shoot her in the face, and then you did.”17
In May 2026 Cadagin denied Grayson’s motion to reconsider the sentence, and the judge noted on the record that Grayson would appeal.16 His lawyers filed the appeal on May 14, 2026, according to their later motion as reported by the Illinois Times.12
In May 2026 Grayson sought medical release under the Joe Coleman Medical Release Act, citing terminal cancer; his petition said Massey had attacked him with a pot of boiling water.1315 Massey’s family opposed the request, and a three-member Prisoner Review Board panel unanimously denied it in July.1315 He died Aug. 23, 2026, his lawyer Dan Fultz said.1314
On Sept. 10, 2026, Grayson’s lawyers asked the Fourth District to vacate the conviction under the doctrine of abatement ab initio, arguing that because he died before the court could resolve his direct appeal, “the only disposition consistent with binding Illinois precedent is to abate the appeal.”1211 The Illinois Supreme Court held in 1999 that when a defendant dies pending a direct appeal, “the appeal must be dismissed and his conviction must be abated ab initio.”3 The next day the lawyers moved to withdraw the motion so they could refile it with his death certificate.12 On Sept. 11 the state moved to dismiss the appeal as moot.69 The defense never renewed its motion, and on Oct. 13 the court dismissed the appeal; the Illinois Times reported that the conviction will stand.6 The appellate order was not found in the sources reviewed, and no source reviewed explains how the dismissal relates to the 1999 precedent.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division reviewed the sheriff’s office and county dispatch and, in January 2025, reached an agreement requiring added training on de-escalation and on responding to people with behavioral health disabilities, an expanded mobile crisis response, and more data on use of force; the agreement made no admission of liability, and the department made no finding of discrimination.22 Sheriff Campbell resigned under pressure, NPR Illinois reported.22 On Aug. 12, 2025, Gov. JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 1953, “Sonya Massey’s Bill,” which requires police agencies to review an applicant’s full prior employment records before making a job offer and requires past employers to make those records available.514 The family reached a $10 million wrongful-death settlement with the county and sheriff’s office.17
Massey was 36 and a mother of two.2019 Ben Crump, the family’s lawyer, said she struggled with her mental health.25 Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke described her as “a woman experiencing a mental health crisis.”22 No court finding on her mental health was found in the sources reviewed.
Grayson was 30 at the time of the shooting and lived in Riverton, according to the defense’s proffer as summarized in the appellate order and the Illinois Times.121 His lawyers told the court he graduated from high school in 2013, owned a home and lived with his fiancée.1
Army officials confirmed he served from May 2014 to February 2016, as a wheeled vehicle mechanic at Fort Riley, Kansas, Illinois Newsroom reported.24 Police department records cited by Illinois Newsroom gave the reason for his 2016 discharge as “Misconduct (Serious Offense),” and the AP, citing a U.S. official, reported he received a general discharge under honorable conditions.2423 His lawyers told the court in 2024 that he had been honorably discharged.1
He was convicted twice of driving under the influence in Macoupin County, after stops in August 2015 and July 2016, the AP reported.23 The State introduced no criminal history at the detention hearing; the trial court noted that his pretrial risk score would have been higher had the two misdemeanor DUIs been counted.1
Before Sangamon County hired him in May 2023, Grayson worked for several small departments and the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, six law enforcement jobs in four years by the AP’s count.231 In Logan County, after a November 2022 pursuit reaching 110 mph, he was told he needed more training, and he resigned before an investigation into two complaints from people he had arrested was complete; he denied both complaints, the AP reported.23 A sheriff’s office spokesman said he had passed a background check, a psychological evaluation and a 16-week academy.23
His lawyers said he was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2023, before the shooting, and at sentencing said it had spread to his liver and lungs.1514 In his medical-release petition he described “stage 4 colon cancer,” ABC News reported.7 While awaiting trial in the county jail, he was regularly taken to Springfield for treatment, according to records obtained by Capitol News Illinois.13
Grayson was held from his arrest in July 2024 until his death.2118 The Illinois Department of Corrections said only that he was held in a facility outside Illinois.12 He died Aug. 23, 2026, at 32, in the custody of Rhode Island officials under an agreement with the Illinois Department of Corrections; his Rhode Island death certificate lists the cause as “complications of colorectal cancer.”613
Sangamon County State's Attorney John Milhiser, who charged Grayson after reviewing the Illinois State Police investigation and the video, argued at trial that Massey held the pot as a shield after Grayson drew his gun, and that Grayson "didn't keep his emotions in check" and ignored his crisis-intervention training.1321 At sentencing he sought the maximum, saying, "We expect our law enforcement to keep us safe."17 He opposed Grayson's request for medical release, writing that "cancer does not make him any less dangerous."15
Grayson testified that he believed Massey was going to throw boiling water at him and took her words as a threat; his lawyer Dan Fultz argued that what mattered legally was Grayson's perception of the threat and that his account never changed.2021 At sentencing he said he had made mistakes and apologized.17 On appeal his lawyers argued that the trial judge erred by letting the jury hear his remarks about Massey after the shooting; after his death they argued that a conviction is not final until a direct appeal is decided.196
Lawyers for the family, Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, said they had wanted a first-degree murder conviction but called the verdict "still a measure of justice for Sonya Massey."20 After Grayson died, they said his death "does not bring Sonya back."7 Relatives opposed his medical release and were upset by the attempt to vacate the conviction.136
The Sangamon County Sheriff's Office hires Grayson as a deputy.2321
Grayson shoots Sonya Massey in her kitchen after she calls 911 about a prowler; she dies of the wound.125
A Sangamon County grand jury indicts Grayson, and the sheriff fires him.1
The Illinois State Police release body camera video on behalf of the State's Attorney.425
The Fourth District reverses the order detaining him before trial; the state appeals.12
The Justice Department and Sangamon County agencies reach an agreement resolving a civil rights review.22
Gov. JB Pritzker signs Sonya Massey's Bill, on police hiring background checks.5
The Illinois Supreme Court dismisses the pretrial-detention appeal as moot.2
Judge Cadagin denies a new trial and sentences Grayson to 20 years.17
The judge denies a motion to reconsider the sentence; Grayson appeals and seeks medical release.161214
The appellate court dismisses his appeal as moot; the conviction stands, local outlets report.68
The sources reviewed report no further proceedings in the criminal case after the Oct. 13, 2026 dismissal.67 Illinois Supreme Court precedent holds that when a defendant dies while a direct appeal is pending, "the appeal must be dismissed and his conviction must be abated ab initio."3 In September 2026 Grayson's lawyers relied on that rule and said they would refile their abatement motion by mid-December; the Illinois Times reported in October that they never renewed it and that the conviction will stand.126 The sources reviewed do not explain how the dismissal relates to that precedent or say whether any further filing remains possible; the appellate order was not found. The Massey family settled a wrongful-death claim with Sangamon County and the sheriff's office for $10 million.1718