A former deputy from Illinois, involved in the fatal shooting of a Black woman who had dialed 911 for assistance, has passed away in incarceration.

Sean Grayson, aged 32, died at approximately noon on Sunday. He was serving a 20-year prison term for the second-degree murder of Sonya Massey, a case highlighted by attorney Daniel Fultz who spoke to NBC News.

During his sentencing in January, Grayson’s defense attorney, Mark Wykoff, disclosed that Grayson had been battling Stage 3 colon cancer since 2023.

Last month, despite appeals for his release due to medical necessity, the Illinois Prisoner Review Board denied Grayson’s request. His legal team emphasized that the cancer had advanced to Stage 4, affecting his liver and lungs.

Reports from the Illinois Department of Corrections indicated a dire prognosis, with medical experts suggesting Grayson was likely to succumb to his illness within 18 months, as detailed in medical-release documents acquired by Capitol News Illinois.

But Grayson did not select terminal illness as the reason for his request, instead applying under a provision covering prisoners expected to become medically incapacitated within six months.

The former sheriff’s deputy had been convicted of second-degree murder in October and was handed the maximum 20-year sentence in January for the July 2024 killing. 

‘Sonya Massey’s death was unjustifiable and she should be alive today,’ Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, attorneys representing Massey’s family, said in a statement on Sunday. 

‘Sean Grayson’s death in custody from cancer does nothing to bring Sonya back,’ they noted. 

‘We wish his family prayers of peace, as we do for all who grieve a loved one,’ the lawyers continued.

‘Sonya’s family know that pain all to well and will grieve her loss the rest of their days.’ 

Massey had called 911 in the early hours of July 6, 2024, because she believed a prowler was lurking outside her home.

Grayson and another Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy searched the property but found no intruder before entering the home to question her.

He then directed Massey to remove a pot of boiling water from the stove, telling her: ‘We don’t need a fire alarm here.’

As the other deputy stepped away from the pot, Massey told the officers: ‘I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.’

Grayson responded: ‘I’ll f***ing shoot you right in the f***ing face,’ and drew his gun.

Massey apologized and dropped to the floor, but Grayson moved toward her and fired three times.

One bullet struck Massey in the head and killed her. 

Grayson later said he took the rebuke as a threat that she was about to toss the boiling water at him. 

Grayson did not activate his body camera until after he fired, although the other deputy’s camera captured the shooting, according to Capitol News Illinois.

He apologized at sentencing but maintained in his medical-release application that Massey had attacked him.

Grayson filed his request on May 20 under Illinois’ Joe Coleman Act, which allows prisoners with terminal illnesses or severe medical incapacity to seek compassionate release.

The 2022 law was named after Joe Coleman, an 82-year-old decorated Army veteran who died of prostate cancer in prison.

As the review board considered the application, Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser urged the panel to keep Grayson behind bars, noting that he already had cancer when he killed Massey.

‘Critically, Grayson had cancer when he committed this murder and his medical condition was explicitly considered at sentencing,’ Milhiser wrote.

‘To release Grayson under these circumstances would be a miscarriage of justice and an insult to Sonya Massey’s memory and family.’

The prosecutor also argued that Grayson remained a danger despite his deteriorating health.

‘His temper and willingness to escalate minor misunderstandings into fatal encounters shows that he poses a danger to any person he comes into contact with,’ Milhiser wrote.

Massey’s relatives also testified against his release and argued that his application showed he continued to lack remorse, Capitol News Illinois reported.

‘He’s a killer,’ her cousin Sontae Massey previously told the outlet.

‘I apologize that he must suffer, but he has to pay for what he did.’

Massey’s killing had triggered nationwide protests, a US Department of Justice review and renewed scrutiny of police hiring practices.

Sangamon County later agreed to pay her family $10 million to settle a wrongful-death claim.

Authorities have confirmed the death of a man suspected of a gruesome killing spree that left five people dead in a rural region near Portland, Oregon. The suspect, found in Enumclaw, Washington, appeared to have died from suicide inside a vehicle, as reported on Sunday.

The suspect, identified as 36-year-old Benjamin Charles Parker, was linked to the horrific event after the discovery of five bodies on Saturday. The massacre took place in a home nestled in a rural community close to Forest Grove, Oregon, situated roughly 25 miles from Portland.

Investigators traced Parker to Enumclaw, Washington, where officers from the Enumclaw Police Department located his vehicle. Inside, they found Parker deceased, with evidence pointing towards suicide, according to a statement from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

In connection with the investigation stemming from Forest Grove, the Enumclaw Police Department discovered an unidentified deceased individual behind a Safeway grocery store.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said there is no known threat to the public.

It is unclear how investigators were led to Parker or what connection he had to the victims. Detectives have said they do not believe the killings were random, but authorities have not publicly described Parker’s alleged connection to the victims or a possible motive.

The sheriff’s office previously said it responded early Saturday to reports of a vehicle fire at a property in Forest Grove, where the remains of five people and “several domestic animals” were discovered.

Authorities have not released the ages or genders of the victims, how they died or what possible connections they might have with one another. The type of animals found dead at the property was also not disclosed.

Detective Shannon Wilde from the sheriff’s office said investigators were still working to determine the victims’ identities.

“Any time you have one person deceased, let alone five, that’s a logistical challenge,” Wilde said, emphasizing the complexity of the investigation and the large crime scene.

Sheriff Caprice Massey encouraged anyone who is familiar with the property or the people who live there to contact authorities with any information they may have.

“I will say that in my 22 years here, I have not been a part of or witnessed a scene quite this complex involving this type of an investigation,” she said.

A dozen law enforcement agencies assisted in the investigation.

Authorities are continuing to investigate.

In a sobering event at a rock festival, a beloved drummer tragically passed away on stage after playing only two songs with his band. The musical community is in mourning.

Raja Azreen Raja Talib, a famed Malaysian rocker, was passionately performing with his band Meditasi—translated to “Meditation” in English—at last month’s Teruntum Rock Festival in Malaysia. In an unexpected turn, he collapsed while still in full swing of the show.

The 56-year-old drummer had just finished the second song out of their planned ten when lead vocalist Bakaruddin Daud, known to fans as Burn, noticed him slumped lifelessly over his drum set.

Recalling the heart-wrenching incident to the Malaysian newspaper Berita Harian, Burn said, “I rushed towards him, but I could feel that he was already gone.” He continued, “I called and patted him, but there was no response. His body felt cold to the touch.”

Burn also shared that the audience was in a state of panic as the situation unfolded. In his own words, he expressed being “truly shocked and deeply saddened” by the loss of a bandmate who, moments earlier, appeared to be in perfect health as they prepared to thrill festival-goers with their set.

“He was really happy to meet up with friends. He didn’t appear sad or unwell,” Burn said.

But shortly after he collapsed and was rushed to the nearby Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital, Talib was pronounced dead.

“He was given respiratory assistance, but he did not regain consciousness or respond after the collapse,” the drummer’s older sibling, Raja, confirmed to the outlet, adding that the cause of death was reportedly heart complications.

Both Talib’s brother and bandmate Burn revealed that the late drummer had recently been diagnosed with diabetes.

His brother further shared that Talib was hospitalized in June due to heart issues.

“He was hospitalized twice; the first stay lasted two to three weeks before he was admitted again,” Raja said, adding that “it is possible that extreme fatigue took a toll” on his brother’s heart as he went straight from a BMX competition to the music festival where he ultimately died.

Meditasi was founded in 1983 as a group named Metal Wizard before they rebranded in 1989.

The band shot to fame during the golden era of Malaysian rock in the 1990s and are much loved for performing Malay-language rock and power ballads.

After going on a temporary hiatus, they reunited in 2015 and currently have more than 46,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.

In a case that has haunted Illinois for more than three decades, authorities are once again delving into the tragic story of a young woman who vanished along her route from the Chicago area to college in Iowa. Investigators from the Illinois State Police are eager for new insights, particularly about a woman who might have interacted with a potential suspect.

Tammy J. Zywicki, a 21-year-old college student, went missing on August 23, 1992. She embarked on a journey from Evanston, Illinois, intending to reach Grinnell College in Iowa, but she never completed her trip.

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Later that day, a state trooper discovered her abandoned white 1985 Pontiac T1000. As dusk settled, her concerned mother reached out to the state police, reporting that Tammy hadn’t arrived at her destination, sparking a frantic search.

Tragically, on September 1, 1992, Tammy’s remains were discovered. She had been brutally stabbed, her body left along Interstate 44 in rural Lawrence County, Missouri, a chilling stretch of highway nestled between Joplin and Springfield.

Witnesses at the time noted a semi-truck parked near Tammy’s car. The truck driver was described as a white male, aged between 35 and 40, towering over six feet tall with conspicuously dark, bushy hair, details that continue to fuel the investigation.

Special agents are now looking for information about Theresa “Teri” Belenske, who may have a connection with the truck driver. ISP said Belenske, whose maiden name is Vega, was known to hitch hike and may have been traveling with the truck driver at some point before Zywicki’s death.

ISP said Belenske is a person of interest, not a suspect. She would have been 32 years old at the time of Zywicki’s death, and she passed away in 2014 at 54 years old.

Special agents are looking for information about Belenske from the late 1980s through the mid-1990s. Belenske has ties to cities in California, including Oceanside, Vista, Pomona, San Bernadino, and Fontana.

Police asked anyone with information about Belenske or Zywicki’s case to leave a crime tip at ISP Investigative Tips page or call 1-800-CALL-FBI. Callers can remain anonymous.

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the killer’s identification.

Police released a photo of Belenske taken in 2009, along with an AI-generated image of what she may have looked like in 1992.

Police also released photos of Zywicki and some of her property known to be missing.

Missing items include a Cannon 35mm camera and a Lorus brand musical wristwatch, which played the tune “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head.” Also taken was a red and white soccer patch monogrammed with “St. Giles Soccer Club, Greenville, SC.”

Zywicki’s case remains active as ISP and the FBI continue to explore new leads, examine 200 pieces of evidence, and retest items with modern DNA technology.

A tragic incident in Louisiana claims the life of a young girl, who died after contracting a brain-eating amoeba, suspected to be sourced from swimming in a nearby lake.

Lillian Smart lost her battle to primary amebic meningoencephalitis just a day following her eighth birthday, as revealed by her grieving parents on their heartfelt Facebook update on the Love for Lillian page.

Health officials from Louisiana suspect Lillian encountered the deadly Naegleria fowleri amoeba while swimming in Lake Claiborne. This microscopic menace likely traveled from her nasal passages into her brain.

The devastated parents shared their loss online, writing, ‘Last night, Lillian transitioned from our loving embrace to heavenly arms, as the damage to her brain was insurmountable for her tiny body.’

Expressing their profound devastation, they added, ‘Every possible effort was made to save her. We are utterly heartbroken and unsure of our path forward.’

‘How do we put one foot in front of the other without our girl?’

After hearing the news, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry shared his condolences on social media.

‘Heartbroken over the news of Lillian’s passing,’ he posted on X. ‘Please join Sharon and me in prayer for the Smart family and the entire Ruston community during this time.’

Senator John Kennedy also said he and his wife were ‘heartbroken’ by the news.

‘Our hearts and prayers are with Lillian’s family, Ruston and all of Louisiana as we mourn this sweet little girl,’ he posted on Facebook

‘May God comfort her family and give them strength in the days ahead.’

Smart was first hospitalized on April 15, days after her trip to the lake, KNOE reports.

An online fundraiser that had been set up to help the family with her hospital bills said she started off having a fever on August 13, but she quickly developed double vision ‘and other concerning symptoms.’

Her parents then rushed her to Willis-Knighton South, where doctors originally diagnosed her with bacterial meningitis before realizing they were dealing with a Naegleria fowleri infection. 

Smart is now remembered around the community for her joy.

‘She’s just always a happy child,’ Patricia Willis, owner of The Children’s Shoppe and Peach Lemonade in Ruston, told KNOE.

‘Every time you see her, she has a smile on her face.’ 

As Smart’s parents now grapple with the loss of their beloved daughter, they said they will lean on their Christian faith and community.

‘Our foundation is still in Jesus,’ they noted.

‘We didn’t get to keep our girl, but we watched miracles happen on her behalf.’

They then went on to share their belief in God, saying: ‘He will give us strength when we have none left. He’s given us a community of support that I don’t think can be found anywhere else in the world.

‘Lil would have loved seeing everyone come together and she would have been right in the middle of it trying to help where she could,’ the heartbroken parents said. 

They then asked for prayers.

‘We are devastated. We know you are too,’ they wrote. ‘Pray for our boys. They are going to need it so much. Pray for our friends and family; they are so sad and somehow still showing up for us. Pray for us, we won’t be able to do this without it.’

The couple concluded the post by saying they ‘are so grateful to you for loving our girl.’ 

Naegleria fowleri is commonly found in warm freshwater lakes, rivers, canals and ponds across the United States. It can cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis, a brain infection that is nearly always fatal.

There have been only 180 known cases of primary amebic meningoencephalitis in the US from 1937 through 2025. 

The most recent fatality from the infection in Louisiana occurred in St Bernard Parish in 2013 when four-year-old Drake Smith Jr contracted the amoeba while playing on a slip-and-slide, the Louisiana Illuminator reports.

Officials confirmed the presence of the amoeba in the household’s water, but tests for the pathogen in the water system were negative. Still, parish officials detected low levels of chlorine and immediately treated the water system. 

Two years prior, a St Bernard Parish man died from an infection after using tap water for a sinus rinse and a DeSoto Parish woman died after using tap water there for a similar treatment.

Symptoms typically begin with a headache, fever, nausea and vomiting, before progressing to a stiff neck, seizure and a coma before death within about a week or two, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Symptoms typically appear within about five days after an infection and are fatal in 97 percent of cases. 

To reduce one’s risk, experts advise holding your nose or wearing a nose clip if you are jumping or diving into fresh water, keeping your head above the water in hot springs and using distilled or boiled tap water when rinsing your sinuses or cleansing your nasal passages.