Sean Grayson, a former Illinois sheriff’s deputy, was convicted Wednesday of second-degree murder in the 2024 shooting of Sonya Massey, a Black mother of two who had called 911 to report a possible prowler near her Springfield home.
Grayson, previously charged with first-degree murder, was found guilty of the lesser count after the jury was instructed on both options. Jurors deliberated nearly 12 hours before delivering the verdict. Grayson’s relatives wept as the decision was read in Sangamon County Circuit Court.
The conviction followed a weeklong trial centered on body camera footage showing Grayson fatally shooting Massey in her kitchen during a confrontation over a pot of boiling water. Prosecutors said Massey complied with commands and posed no threat when Grayson fired.
Grayson, who is white, testified that he believed Massey intended to throw the water at him after she said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” He told jurors he perceived her words as a threat and feared for his safety.
Sean Grayson Found Guilty In Shooting Death Of Sonya Massey
First Assistant State’s Attorney Mary Beth Rodgers rejected that account, arguing Massey had apologized moments before she was shot. “He wants you to believe he was scared,” Rodgers said. “But the evidence shows he wasn’t.”
The incident sparked nationwide protests. It led to the passage of the Sonya Massey Act in Illinois, mandating enhanced background checks in police hiring.
Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, who secured a $10 million civil settlement for Massey’s family, called the verdict “a measure of justice,” though they said a first-degree conviction was warranted.
Legal analysts described the defense’s strategy to include the lesser charge as a calculated move to avoid an “all-or-nothing” outcome. Grayson now faces four to 20 years in prison and could serve half his sentence with good behavior.
Outside the courthouse, demonstrators chanted Massey’s final words as family members expressed frustration with the verdict. “He showed no remorse,” said her father, James Wilburn. “He was cocky the whole trial—until that verdict.”
Grayson’s sentencing is scheduled for later this year. The case continues to resonate in debates over policing, race, and accountability across the United States.
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