Illinois deputy found guilty of murder in the shooting of Sonya Massey, a Black woman who called 911

Source: Associated Press

U.S. NEWS
Illinois deputy found guilty of murder in the shooting of Sonya Massey, a Black woman who called 911

BY JOHN O’CONNOR
Updated 3:53 PM EDT, October 29, 2025

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — An Illinois jury on Wednesday convicted a former sheriff’s deputy of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Sonya Massey, a Black woman who called 911 asking for help.

The jurors, though, did not convict Sean Grayson on the first-degree murder charge that prosecutors sought and that carries a prison sentence of 45 years to life. The 31-year-old Grayson instead could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison, or probation. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 29.

Grayson and another deputy arrived at Massey’s home in Springfield, Illinois, early on the morning of July 6, 2024, after she reported a prowler. Grayson shot the 36-year-old woman after confronting her about how she was handling a pot of hot water she had removed from her stove. Grayson and his attorneys argued that he feared Massey would scald him with the hot water. … Massey’s killing raised new questions about U.S. law enforcement shootings of Black people in their homes, and prompted a change in Illinois law requiring fuller transparency on the background of candidates for law enforcement jobs.

Grayson originally was charged with first-degree murder, but after the seven-day trial, the jury was given the option of considering second-degree murder, which applies when a defendant faces a “serious provocation” or believes their action is justified even if that belief is unreasonable.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/sean-grayson-sonya-massey-trial-34a5cb31ad44c6243d17cc4f598a9d5c