Sonya Massey's killer Sean Grayson dies in US prison
The former police officer, whose crime reignited the debate about US police brutality, was undergoing treatment for cancer.
Sean Grayson, the 32-year-old former US police officer convicted of the 2024 murder of Sonya Massey, a Black woman, has passed away in prison.
Grayson fatally shot Massey, 36, at her Illinois home after she reported a suspected intruder. The incident reignited national discussions on police brutality.
Grayson maintained he fired because he believed Massey was about to throw boiling water on him. He was found guilty of second-degree murder last year.
The former officer was receiving treatment for colon cancer, diagnosed in 2023. His lawyer, Daniel Fultz, confirmed Grayson's death to the BBC on Sunday but did not specify the cause. The BBC has sought comment from the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Lawyers representing Massey's family stated, "Grayson's death in custody from cancer does not bring Sonya back." They added, "We wish his family prayers of peace, as we do for all who grieve a loved one. Sonya's family knows that pain all too well and will grieve her loss the rest of their days," as reported by CBS News, the BBC's US partner.
Massey's death sparked protests across the US, and then-President Joe Biden remarked that she "should be alive today."
The incident occurred in the early hours of Independence Day weekend in July 2024. Massey had called police to her Springfield home, located 200 miles (320km) south of Chicago, reporting a suspected break-in.
Police bodycam footage captured the chaotic events. The shooting followed an exchange about a pot on Massey's stove. Massey and Grayson were heard laughing about her "steaming hot water" before Massey twice declared, "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus."
Grayson then threatened, "You better [expletive] not or I swear to God I'll [expletive] shoot you in your [expletive] face," drawing his pistol and ordering her to drop the pot.
Massey was heard saying, "OK, I'm sorry," before ducking. Grayson fired three shots, striking her in the face.
Grayson was subsequently fired and initially charged with first-degree murder. However, the jury was permitted to convict him of the lesser charge of second-degree murder, for which he received a 20-year prison sentence. His recent application for release on medical grounds was denied.