Court Dismisses Grayson Appeal, Leaving Conviction Intact

An Illinois appellate court dismissed Sean Grayson’s appeal seeking to vacate his second-degree murder conviction in the 2024 fatal shooting of Sonya Massey. The state argued the appeal was moot because Grayson died, and court records indicate his lawyers withdrew their motion; the conviction therefore remains in place. Grayson, a former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy, was sentenced to 20 years in prison and died of cancer before the appeals process was completed.