Former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson was convicted Wednesday of second-degree murder for fatally shooting Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old woman who had called 911 for help at her home near Springfield, Illinois, in 2024.
Massey had reported a possible intruder, but when deputies arrived and found no threat, a brief conversation inside her home turned tragic. Body camera footage showed Massey lifting a pot of hot water after being asked to remove it from the stove and saying, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” moments before Grayson shot her in the head.
Prosecutors argued Grayson escalated unnecessarily, acted against his training, and showed unreasonable judgment. “Sonya Massey is dead because of the defendant,” said Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser.
Grayson, 31, testified that he feared for his life and believed he was matching a “threat level.” His defense maintained the shooting was a tragic mistake but not a crime.
The conviction marks a rare case of a police officer found guilty for an on-duty fatal shooting. Massey’s death, captured on body camera footage, sparked protests and led to the creation of the Massey Commission, aimed at addressing racial inequities and mistrust in law enforcement.
The jury deliberated for a week after the trial was moved from Springfield to Peoria due to pretrial publicity. Witnesses, including other deputies, testified Massey had not posed a threat and that Grayson violated departmental policies.
Family attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci called the verdict a step toward justice but said Grayson should have been convicted of first-degree murder. “Accountability has begun,” they said. “We now hope the court imposes a meaningful sentence that reflects the severity of these crimes.”
Grayson will be sentenced in the coming weeks, facing a potential lengthy prison term for the killing that reignited national debate over police accountability and race.
