A former Illinois sheriff’s deputy, Sean Grayson, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for fatally shooting Sonya Massey in her home in Springfield, Illinois, after she dialed 911 to report a possible prowler outside, according to the Associated Press. The sentencing Thursday capped a police brutality case that prompted protests over systemic racism and led to a U.S. Department of Justice inquiry.
Grayson, who is white, was convicted in October of second-degree murder and received the maximum possible sentence, AP reported. At sentencing, his attorney sought a six-year term and pointed to Grayson’s late stage colon cancer that has spread to his liver and lungs. Grayson apologized in court, saying he wished he could bring Massey back and spare her family the pain his actions caused.
During his testimony at trial, Grayson said he feared Massey was about to scald him with a pot of steaming hot water, AP reported. The judge, Ryan Cadagin, read the sentence as Massey’s parents and two teenage children urged the maximum punishment. The family reacted with a loud cheer after the sentence was read, and Cadagin admonished them for the outburst.
In his arguments at sentencing, State’s Attorney John Milhiser said Massey would still be alive if someone else from the sheriff’s department had responded to the 911 call. Milhiser also told the court, “Sonya Massey’s death rocked her family, but it rocked the community, it rocked the country,” and said, “We have to do whatever we can to ensure it never happens again.”
Massey’s family members described ongoing fear and grief after the July 6, 2024, shooting. Massey’s mother, Donna Massey, told the court, “I cry every day,” and said, “I’m afraid to call the police in fear that I might end up like Sonya.” Massey’s 16-year-old daughter, Summer, told reporters after the hearing that 20 years was not enough but that the family had done what it could.
According to body camera footage described by AP, Massey was 36 and a single mother who summoned emergency responders in the early morning hours of July 6, 2024. She told deputies she feared a prowler outside her Springfield home, and AP reported that Grayson and Sheriff’s Deputy Dawson Farley, who was not charged, searched outside before meeting Massey at her door. The footage showed Massey appearing confused as she repeatedly said, “Please, God.”
AP reported that when the deputies entered Massey’s house, Grayson noticed the pot on the stove and ordered Farley to move it, and that Massey then went to the stove, retrieved the pot, and teased Grayson for moving away from the “hot, steaming water.” The exchange escalated quickly, with Massey telling him, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” before Grayson drew his sidearm and yelled at her to drop the pan. AP reported that Massey set the pot down and ducked behind a counter but appeared to pick it up again, at which point Grayson opened fire and shot Massey in the face.
Grayson was originally charged with three counts of first-degree murder, AP reported, but a jury convicted him of the lesser charge of second-degree murder. Illinois allows a second-degree murder conviction if evidence shows the defendant honestly thought he was in danger, even if that fear was unreasonable. AP reported that Massey’s cousin, Sontae Massey, said after the verdict that “the justice system did exactly what it’s designed to do today. It’s not meant for us,” and that he later said he was “thankful,” adding there was “a long way to go” to eliminate conditions that “perpetuated, created this situation.”
After the shooting, the case prompted renewed attention to U.S. law enforcement shootings of Black people in their homes. AP reported that civil rights attorney Ben Crump negotiated a $10 million settlement with Sangamon County for Massey’s relatives. The Justice Department inquiry was settled after the county agreed to implement more de-escalation training and collect more use-of-force data, AP said, and the sheriff who hired Grayson was forced to retire.
AP also reported that the case contributed to a change in Illinois law requiring fuller transparency on the backgrounds of candidates for law enforcement jobs. James Wilburn, speaking at sentencing and later to reporters, said he understood the value of forgiveness but could not reconcile Grayson’s apology with Grayson’s claim at trial that Wilburn’s daughter was the aggressor, according to AP. Wilburn also said the law should be implemented at the federal level.
With credit for nearly 19 months already spent behind bars and additional time shaved off for good behavior, Grayson could be released in just under 8 1/2 years, AP reported. AP said the AP story was updated to correct the spelling of Judge Ryan Cadagin.