Ex-deputy who shot Sonya Massey is denied a request for medical release from prison

CHICAGO (AP) — A former Illinois sheriff’s deputy won't get an early medical release from his two-decade prison sentence for killing Sonya Massey inside her home after the Black woman called 911 about a possible prowler, state officials decided Friday.

Sean Grayson had been diagnosed with colon cancer prior to the 2024 shooting, and his attorney noted in January that the cancer had advanced to his liver and lungs.

The three-member Illinois Prisoner Review Board voted unanimously Friday to deny Grayson's application for early medical release, Liz Mitchell, a board spokesperson, said in an email.

Grayson, who is white, was convicted in October of second-degree murder for Massey's killing, a case that sparked protests over systemic racism and a U.S. Department of Justice review.

Body camera footage showed Grayson and another deputy enter Massey's home in Springfield, Illinois. Minutes later, Grayson shot the 36-year-old single mother in the face as she moved a pot of hot water from the stove and told him, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”

Grayson was given the maximum possible sentence.

He filed for early release from prison in May, six months into his sentence, according to a copy of his application published by Capitol News Illinois. Grayson apologized for Massey's death at his January sentencing but in the release application wrote she had “attacked me with a pot of boiling water.”

Daniel Fultz, an attorney who has represented Grayson, declined to comment Friday.

In a letter to the board opposing Grayson's release, Sangamon County State's Attorney John Milhiser said the former deputy's medical condition was already considered at sentencing.

“To release Grayson under these circumstances would be a miscarriage of justice,” he wrote, “and an insult to Sonya Massey’s memory and family.”

Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, attorneys representing Massey's family, said Friday that the board “made the right decision.”

“Today the board recognized what this family has said from the start,” they said in a statement. “No one is above accountability, and a badge does not provide an early way out.”

Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement that Illinois law requires the Prisoner Review Board to consider medical release requests. He called Massey's killing “a profound loss.”

“Sonya was innocent, unarmed, and calling law enforcement for help,” he said. “It was a painful reminder that too many innocent Black Americans have faced this kind of violence — and they deserve justice.”

Mayes-Osterman is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

FILE - Donna Massey, center right, wipes tears from her face as she listens to Rev. Al Sharpton, right, speak during a news conference Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Chicago, over the shooting death of her daughter Sonya, who was allegedly killed by Illinois sheriff's deputy Sean Grayson. (Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Chicago Sun-Times via AP, File

FILE - In this image from body camera video released by Illinois State Police, Sangamon County Sheriff's Deputy Sean Grayson, left, points his gun at Sonya Massey, who called 911 for help, before shooting and killing her inside her home in Springfield, Ill., July 6, 2024. (Illinois State Police via AP, File)

FILE - In this image from body camera video released by Illinois State Police, Sonya Massey, left, talks with Sangamon County Sheriff's Deputy Sean Grayson outside her home in Springfield, Ill., July 6, 2024. (Illinois State Police via AP, File)

FILE - This booking photo provided by the Macon County, Ill., Jail in January 2025, shows Sean Grayson, a former Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy. (Macon County Jail via AP, File)

DETROIT (AP) — Davis Riley has put himself in a position to win on the PGA Tour for the first time in more than two years and to earn a postseason bid.

Riley shot a 7-under 63 to reach 15 under on Saturday and took a one-shot lead at Detroit Golf Club, where the relatively easy course will give a lot of players on the tightly-packed leaderboard a chance to win the last Rocket Classic.

Riley closed with consecutive birdies, making a 54-foot putt at No. 17 and a 10-footer at 18 to pull into a first-place tie with Michael Brennan

Riley is aiming for his third career win and first since the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge — and to get into the postseason.

He has missed 10 cuts, including last week’s 3M Open, and is No. 146 in the FedEx Cup standings.

The Rocket Classic and next week’s Wyndham Championship are the last two tournaments left before the top 70 advance to playoffs.

Riley had an opportunity to win the season-opening Sony Open as the third-round leader before closing with a 71 and falling into a tie for sixth.

“There’s been a lot of ups and downs,” he said. “I’m just excited that I’ve started to put the things together and have a chance.”

Brennan (64) had a strong round with seven birdies, but missed a 9-foot putt to bogey 18 and lost a share of the lead.

Rasmus Hojgaard (61), Chris Kirk (66), Rickie Fowler (67) and Cameron Young (68) were three shots back.

Xander Schauffele (67) is in a group another stroke back, going into the final round on Sunday.

Hojgaard became the third player in as many days to match the course record with a 61, giving him the lead before Brennan's birdies put him ahead.

First-round leader Peter Malnati opened with a 61 before plummeting to 4 under with a 71 and 74.

Young matched the mark on the second day, putting the third-ranked player in the world in a three-way tie for the second-round lead with Patrick Cantlay and Patrick Fishburn.

Young, playing for the first time since a second-place finish at the British Open, was in the final group on Saturday and had a rough round.

He missed 11-foot putts at Nos. 1 and 3, settling for par. His drive at No. 2 went wide right, landing on a berm with the ball above his feet, leading to another par.

The 24-year-old Brennan, a former Wake Forest star, is shooting for his second win and first since last year's Bank of Utah Championship in his first start as a professional.

Brennan also has a chance to improve his shot at being in the postseason after entering the tournament No. 106 in the FedEx Cup standings. He made eight straight birdies, one shy of the PGA Tour record, on Thursday to open with a 65 and shot a 67 on Friday.

Hojgaard of Denmark is vying for his first win on the PGA Tour after missing the cut in his last three starts — and just making it to the weekend at 3 under in Detroit.

Kirk, who was in a three-way playoff at last year's Rocket Classic before Aldrich Potgieter won it, earned his sixth career victory at the The Sentry early in 2024. Fowler's sixth and last win was the 2023 Rocket Classic.

The PGA Tour is moving to a new model for 2028, effectively creating two tours and Rocket Mortgage decided not to exercise its option to host another tournament next year.

The Detroit-based company isn't interested in continuing to spend $15 million a year to be part of the second tier in the new era and didn’t want to double the costs to be part of the elite tier.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Cameron Young watches his shot from the ninth tee during the first round of the Rocket Classic golf tournament at the Detroit Golf Club, Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)

Xander Schauffele hits from the 11th tee during the first round of the Rocket Classic golf tournament at the Detroit Golf Club, Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)

Chris Kirk hits from the ninth tee during the first round of the Rocket Classic golf tournament at the Detroit Golf Club, Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)

Michael Brennan putts on the 18th green during the first round of the Rocket Classic golf tournament at the Detroit Golf Club, Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)

FILE - Davis Riley watches his tee shot on the ninth hole during the first round of the Charles Schwab Challenge golf tournament at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero,File)