Copyright Arkansas Online
PEORIA, Ill. -- A jury on Wednesday convicted an Illinois sheriff's deputy of second-degree murder, a lesser charge, in the shooting death of Sonya Massey, a Black woman who called 911 to report a suspected prowler. Sean Grayson could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison or even probation. The jury did not convict him of first-degree murder, a crime that carries a sentence of 45 years to life. Massey's supporters were angered by the result. Her father, James Wilburn of Pine Bluff, called it a "miscarriage of justice." "She called for help and she was murdered in her own home. ... Second-degree murder -- that is not right. That is not justice for anybody's family," Teresa Haley, a civil-rights activist in Springfield, Ill., told reporters outside the courthouse. Grayson and another deputy arrived at Massey's home in Springfield early on July 6, 2024, after she reported a prowler. He shot the 36-year-old woman after confronting her about how she was handling a pot of hot water on the stove. Grayson, 31, and his attorneys argued that he fired his gun in fear that Massey would scald him with hot water. Massey's killing prompted a change in Illinois law requiring fuller transparency on the background of candidates for law enforcement jobs. State's Attorney John Milhiser declined to comment as he left the courtroom. He was repeatedly praised by Massey's supporters for pursuing the trial. Body camera video recorded by another Sangamon County sheriff's deputy at the scene, Dawson Farley, was a key part of the prosecution's case. It showed Massey, who struggled with mental health issues, telling the officers, "Don't hurt me," and repeating, "Please God." When the deputies entered the house, Grayson saw the pot on the stove and ordered Massey to move it. Massey jumped up to retrieve the pot, and she and Grayson joked about how he said he was backing off from the "hot, steaming water." Massey then replied, "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus." Both Grayson and Farley drew their pistols and yelled at Massey to put the pot down. Grayson told investigators he thought her "rebuke" meant she intended to kill him and, in the following commotion, fired three shots, striking Massey just below the eye. Farley testified that Massey didn't say or do anything that caused him to view her as a threat. "She done. You can go get it, but that's a head shot," Grayson told Farley after the shooting. "There's nothing you can do, man." Grayson relented moments later and went to get his kit while Farley found dish towels to apply pressure to the head wound. When Grayson returned, Farley told him his help wasn't necessary, so he threw his kit on the floor and said, "I'm not even gonna waste my med stuff then." Massey's death forced the early retirement of the sheriff who hired Grayson and generated a U.S. Justice Department inquiry. The federal probe was resolved with Sangamon County sheriff's office's agreement to fortify training, particularly de-escalation practices; develop a program in which mental health professionals can respond to emergency calls; and to generate data on use-of-force incidents. Massey's family settled a lawsuit against the county for $10 million, and state lawmakers changed Illinois law to require fuller transparency on the background of candidates for law enforcement jobs.
