October 30, 2025
Protests sparked across the nation after news of Massey’s July 2024 death made headlines, adding another name to the lengthy list of Black people who have died at the hands of the police.
The family of Sonya Massey, the unarmed Black woman who was killed by former Illinois sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson, received some justice after a jury handed down a guilty verdict of second-degree murder in a case that sparked an investigation into the department’s hiring practices, USA Today reports.
The verdict came on Oct. 29, on day two of jury deliberations in the trial. Grayson was initially charged with first-degree murder, but an option for second-degree murder was given to jury members before deliberations. While Massey family attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci wish the first charge had stuck, they are pleased that the road to accountability has begun.”
“Accountability has begun, and we now hope the court will impose a meaningful sentence that reflects the severity of these crimes and the life that was lost,” Crump and Romanucci said in a statement. “We will continue to fight for Sonya’s family and for reforms that protect everyone from unlawful use of force.”
Protests sparked across the nation after news of Massey’s July 2024 death made headlines, adding another name to the lengthy list of Black people killed by the police. The victim, who was dealing with a mental health crisis at the time, called authorities to her Springfield home after thinking an intruder was nearby. Grayson said he shot Massey after believing she was going to throw a pot of boiling water, which was seen sitting on the stove in body camera footage.
While holding the pot, Massey could be heard saying, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” Grayson said, “You better not,” and that he would shoot Massey, yelling for her to drop the pot.
“OK, I’m sorry,” Massey said before hiding behind her kitchen counter. Shortly after, Grayson approached and fired three times, striking her in the face. She was pronounced dead after arriving at a hospital close by. Prosecutors argued Grayson heightened the situation and used force that was described as excessive and unjustified.
Grayson’s family cried and held hands as the verdict was read following close to 12 hours of juror deliberations. But protesters celebrated the guilty verdict outside, chanting, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”
Some members of the Massey family feel the first-degree murder charge should have stuck, according to NBC News.
“I’m fueled by rage right now,” one of Sonya’s cousins, Sontae, said outside the courthouse. “If you get an officer who says he’s going to shoot you in the face, and then he shoots you in the face, and you only get second-degree murder?”
The case led to the Sonya Massey Act being signed into law in August 2024, requiring stricter background checks for police hiring. Grayson’s rap sheet, including two DUIs, being discharged from the U.S. Army for “serious misconduct,” and complaints against him from the residents he policed, in addition to fellow officers, was put under the spotlight after he was fired from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office.
With the conviction, Grayson faces four to 20 years in prison, but under state law, he may be eligible for day-for-day credit for good behavior in prison. If so, he could end up serving only half of his sentence. Massey’s father, James Wilburn, hopes the judge gives Grayson the maximum sentence due to Grayson’s alleged cocky behavior.
“He showed no remorse. He was so cocky throughout this whole trial, until he was convicted,” Wilburn said. “Yeah, that knocked the smirk off.”
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