An Illinois deputy was convicted of murdering Sonya Massey after she called 911. Photo / Getty Images
A former sheriff’s deputy in the US has been convicted of fatally shooting an unarmed black woman after she called 911 to report a prowler in her home, a lawyer representing the woman’s family said.
Sean Grayson, who is white, was found guilty of second-degree murder in the July 2024 killing of Sonya Massey, 36.
The killing upended the Illinois community where Massey lived, drew condemnation from the state’s Governor and the White House, and renewed national outrage over police conduct against black Americans.
Grayson, who faces the possibility of up to 20 years in prison, was one of two Sangamon County deputies to respond to Massey’s call. Half an hour later, Grayson had shot Massey in her Springfield home and told the other deputy not to try to save her.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 29.
Daniel Fultz, an attorney for Grayson, declined to comment on the verdict. A woman who answered the phone at the office of Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser said their office did not immediately have a comment.
Massey’s family and attorneys gathered outside the Peoria County courthouse after the verdict, vehemently arguing that Grayson should have been convicted of first-degree murder. James Wilburn, Massey’s father, demanded the maximum sentence for Grayson to a hum of agreement from his relatives.
“How would you feel if your child was shot in the face, and they came back with a second-degree murder conviction?” said Sontae Massey, Sonya Massey’s cousin. “I can ask the same thing, and you’ll say the same thing: It’s not justified.”
Massey’s killing spurred protests across the country, reigniting criticism of how law enforcement responds to black communities and people experiencing mental health crises. Springfield residents formed an ad hoc group – dubbed the Massey Commission – dedicated to rooting out systemic racism in local government. The sheriff who hired Grayson stepped down after mounting pressure. And in August, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed a law revising the state’s police hiring practices, requiring agencies to comprehensively review an applicant’s employment history before making a job offer.
The case came four years after the high-profile killings of three black Americans – Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd – compelled mass civil unrest and an American reckoning on race and policing. To many who voiced outrage over Massey’s case, the murder represented a lack of progress on the enduring issue.
When Grayson, then 30, and another deputy arrived at Massey’s home in the overnight hours of July 6, 2024, they searched the property and interacted with her for about 20 minutes. They reported finding evidence of a car break-in but not a prowler.
Grayson then saw a pot on the stove and told Massey to take it off the burner, body-camera footage shows. Massey complied, carrying the pot to the sink. Grayson backed into the living room and said he was moving to get away from “your hot, steaming water”. Massey replied: “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”
Grayson drew his gun, pointed it at Massey and threatened to shoot her in the face, the video shows. She ducked and said: “Okay, I’m sorry.”
Grayson fired his service weapon at her three times, striking her once in the head.
The other deputy, Dawson Farley, tried to give Massey first aid. Grayson initially told him not to bother because of the severity of her injury and never attempted to give her aid himself, prosecutors wrote in court documents.
Grayson’s body camera was not on during most of the call, and he activated it only after firing his gun. Farley’s camera was on for the whole interaction.
Massey struggled with her mental health in the weeks before the shooting, according to her family and law enforcement records. The day before Massey was killed, her mother called 911 seeking help. She said her daughter was having a mental breakdown and urged law enforcement officers not to hurt her when they responded, according to 911 recordings. The dispatcher assured Massey’s mother that officers “just do their job” and that “there’s nothing to be fearful of”.
Massey was fatally shot about 16 hours later.
Grayson was indicted that month after an investigation by the Illinois State Police and the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office. County authorities later confirmed that the deputies and dispatchers on duty didn’t know that Massey’s mother had told a 911 dispatcher that her daughter was having a mental health crisis.
Grayson was fired after his indictment, and then-Sheriff Jack Campbell faced intense scrutiny for hiring Grayson in 2023 despite a spotty record.
Grayson had been convicted twice of driving under the influence, and one of those convictions led to him being discharged from the US Army for “serious misconduct”. He also moved between five law enforcement agencies over two years and had been flagged at least a handful of times for impulsive decision-making and filing inaccurate reports, according to personnel records released by some of his employers.
After Grayson shot Massey, he claimed he opened fire because he feared for his life, according to publicly released sheriff’s reports.
Massey’s father called the verdict “a miscarriage of justice” and said Grayson never should have been a sheriff’s deputy.
“Sean Grayson should be able to get out of jail when my daughter can get out of that burial vault and walk out of Oak Hill Cemetery,” Wilburn said.
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