Former Illinois sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the killing of Sonya Massey, more than a year after he fatally shot her inside her home.
The verdict was delivered on Wednesday, October 29, following a week-long trial and a full day of jury deliberations that began Tuesday morning.
Grayson was arrested in July 2024 for shooting Massey, who had called 911 to report a possible prowler near her home. The case sparked nationwide outrage after the release of bodycam footage that captured the tragic moments leading up to her death.
The video showed Massey turning off a stove burner and moving a pot of boiling water to the sink as two deputies looked on. Moments later, Grayson was heard yelling at her to “drop the pot” before suddenly stepping forward and shooting her at close range.
Massey succumbed to her injuries soon after. The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office later terminated Grayson’s employment, though he claimed he fired out of fear that she might throw the boiling water at him.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Massey’s family, condemned the deputy’s defense, describing the killing as an act of excessive force and racial bias. He said Massey posed no threat and that the shooting was “completely unprovoked and unjustifiable.”
Following her death, Massey’s family reached a $10 million civil settlement with local authorities over her wrongful death.
Grayson now awaits sentencing for second-degree murder — a rare conviction for a law enforcement officer involved in a fatal shooting and a major victory for justice in the case of Sonya Massey.
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