CHICAGO – Former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson was denied medical release Friday, July 31, 2026, by the Illinois Prisoner Review Board and will remain in prison serving his sentence for the 2024 killing of Sonya Massey, according to the board’s decision following a hearing in Chicago.
Grayson had petitioned for release under Illinois’ Medical Release Act after being diagnosed with cancer. He was convicted of second-degree murder in October 2025 in Massey’s fatal shooting and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The Prisoner Review Board said a three-member panel heard testimony and victim impact statements during Friday’s hearing before deliberating in closed session. The panel ultimately denied the request. Gov. JB Pritzker later said the board voted 3-0 against the petition…