Sean Grayson appeared in court on Thursday (Jan. 29) for his sentencing, per the Associated Press. He is the former Illinois sheriff’s deputy convicted of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, a Black woman who called 911 to request help for an alleged prowler. The 31-year-old deputy was convicted in October and faced up to 20 years in prison. And that’s exactly what he got when the judge read his sentence!
As mentioned, Sean Grayson got 20 years in prison for fatally shooting Sonya Massey, which is the maximum possible sentence. He has been incarcerated since he was charged with the killing. Grayson’s attorneys had filed a motion for a new trial, which Judge Ryan Cadigan dismissed at the start of the sentencing.
Also during the hearing, Sean Grayson apologized. He said he wished he could bring Massey back and spare her family the pain he caused.
“I made a lot of mistakes that night. There were points when I should’ve acted, and I didn’t. I froze,” he said. “I made terrible decisions that night. I’m sorry.”
Grayson was charged with three counts of first-degree murder, which could have led to a life sentence, but a jury convicted him of the lesser charge. Illinois allows for a second-degree murder conviction if evidence shows the defendant honestly thought he was in danger, even if that fear was unreasonable.
Sonya Massey’s parents and two children has lobbied for the maximum sentence. On Thursday, they their lives had changed dramatically since the killing. Her two children said they had to grow up without a mother, while Massey’s mother said she lived in fear. They asked the judge to carry out justice in her name.
“Today, I’m afraid to call the police in fear that I might end up like Sonya,” her mother Donna Massey said.
When the judge read the sentence, the family reacted with a loud cheer: “Yes!” The judge admonished them. After the hearing, Sonya Massey’s relatives thanked the public for the support and listening to their stories about Massey.
“Twenty years is not enough,” her daughter Summer told reporters.
Massey’s family was previously outraged by the jury’s decision to convict Sean Grayson of the lesser charge. “The justice system did exactly what it’s designed to do today. It’s not meant for us,” her cousin Sontae Massey said in October after the verdict.
Massey’s killing raised new questions about U.S. law enforcement shootings of Black people in their homes. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump negotiated a $10 million settlement with Sangamon County on behalf of Massey’s relatives. The case also prompted a U.S. Justice Department inquiry, which was settled when the county agreed to implement more de-escalation training, collect more use-of-force data, and require the sheriff who hired Grayson to retire. The case also prompted a change in Illinois law requiring fuller transparency on the backgrounds of candidates for law enforcement jobs.
In the early morning hours of July 6, 2024, Massey called emergency responders because she feared there was a prowler outside her Springfield home. She struggled with mental health issues. According to body camera footage, Grayson and Sheriff’s Deputy Dawson Farley searched Massey’s yard before meeting her at her door. Farley was not charged in her later death. At the door, Sonya Massey appeared confused and repeatedly said, “Please, God.” The deputies entered her house, and Grayson noticed the pot on the stove and ordered Farley to move it. Instead, Massey went to the stove, retrieved the pot and teased Grayson for moving away from “the hot, steaming water.”
From this moment, the exchange quickly escalated. Massey said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” Grayson drew his sidearm and yelled at her to drop the pan. She set the pot down and ducked behind a counter. But she appeared to pick it up again. That’s when Grayson opened fire on the 36-year-old single mother, shooting her in the face. He testified that he feared Massey would scald him.
Associated Press writers John O’Connor and Sophia Tareen contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.
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