Former Illinois sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of 36-year-old Sonya Massey, a Springfield mother of two whose death in 2024 set off national outrage and calls for police reform.
Justice seems to be served. Let’s see what the sentencing looks like.
The verdict was delivered Wednesday in Sangamon County Circuit Court after jurors deliberated for nearly 12 hours. Grayson, who had been charged with first-degree murder, was convicted on the lesser count following a weeklong trial that revisited one of Illinois’ most disturbing police-involved shootings in recent memory.
Body camera footage played in court showed the moment Grayson shot Massey inside her kitchen after she called 911 to report a possible prowler near her home. Prosecutors said Massey complied with every command and posed no threat when the deputy fired. The footage captured her saying, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” seconds before the shooting.
On the witness stand, Grayson claimed he interpreted the statement as a sign that Massey was preparing to attack him with a pot of boiling water and said he feared for his life. Prosecutors dismissed that defense as “unbelievable,” pointing out that Massey had apologized moments before the fatal shot. “He wants you to believe he was scared,” First Assistant State’s Attorney Mary Beth Rodgers argued. “But the evidence shows he wasn’t.”
The killing ignited protests across Illinois and beyond, fueling renewed demands for police accountability. In its aftermath, lawmakers passed the Sonya Massey Act, which strengthened background checks and oversight measures in police hiring. Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, who represented Massey’s family in a separate civil case that resulted in a $10 million settlement, called the verdict “a measure of justice,” though they said a first-degree conviction would have been more appropriate.
Grayson, who is white, now faces a prison term ranging from four to twenty years. Under Illinois law, he could serve as little as half of that time with good behavior. Legal experts described the defense’s push to allow jurors to consider a lesser charge as a tactical move to avoid a full first-degree murder conviction.
Outside the courthouse, supporters and family members gathered to honor Massey’s memory, chanting her final words in unison. Her father, James Wilburn, expressed frustration over the verdict but relief that the case ended in conviction. “He showed no remorse,” Wilburn said. “He thought he was untouchable until today.” Grayson will be sentenced later this year.