A jury found former Sangamon County deputy Sean Grayson guilty of second-degree murder for the fatal police shooting of Sonya Massey.
Grayson was charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the 2024 deadly police shooting, and the jury was given the option of convicting him of second-degree murder. They found him not guilty on all three counts of first-degree murder.
The jury alerted the judge that they had reached a verdict around 2 p.m. It was read at 2:28 p.m.
Grayson was stoic as the verdict was read. Afterward, he stood from the table, put his hands to be handcuffed, and was led out of the courtroom through the back door. His sentencing date has been set for Jan. 29 in Sangamon County court.
One of Grayson’s family members was seen crying in the courtroom when the verdict was read.
Massey’s family, by contrast, was quiet and appeared deflated or upset as the second-degree conviction was handed down. They spoke after court adjourned, and called the conviction a miscarriage of justice.
“I am fueled by rage right now,” said Sontae Massey. “You get an officer who says ‘I’m going to shoot you in the face’ and you only get second degree murder. The justice system did what it’s supposed to do; it’s not meant for us.”
CBS News Chicago legal expert Irv Miller said the jury’s verdict was not particularly surprising, considering the evidence presented at trial and the fact that the judge gave the option for second degree murder in the first place.
Miller explained that by finding Grayson guilty of second-degree murder, the jury determined that as a police officer he had an unreasonable belief that he was acting in self-defense when he opened fire on Massey. In this case, Miller said, whether or not Grayson’s belief he was acting in self-defense was reasonable was pivotal; if a jury had found it was a reasonable belief, he would have been found not guilty. Since the jury found his belief was not reasonable, they found him guilty of second degree murder.
Miller said he expects whatever sentence is handed down, Grayson will be expected to serve at least 50% of it. While probation is an option, Miller said he wouldn’t expect that sentence in this case.
Attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, who represent the Massey family in their civil lawsuit, issued a statement after the verdict, saying in part, “While we believe Grayson’s actions deserved a first-degree conviction, today’s verdict is still a measure of justice for Sonya Massey. 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. We will continue to fight for Sonya’s family and for reforms that protect everyone from unlawful use of force.”
Crump and Romanucci also thanked the Sangamon County State’s Attorneys Office and State’s Attorney John C. Milhiser for their work on the case.
The jury deliberated for more than 11 hours over the course of two days before they reached their verdict. They asked several questions and to see Grayson’s previous employment and training history. They also re-watched the body camera footage after closing arguments on Tuesday.
Massey, a 36-year-old unarmed Black woman, called police for help in July 2024 for a possible prowler outside her home.
Inside the home, Grayson said Massey began acting erratically and rebuked him “in the name of Jesus” while walking towards a pot of water on her stove. Body cam video from Grayson’s partner captured the shooting; Grayson’s body camera was not activated for most the call, only turning on shortly after he pulled his weapon.
Massey died of a gunshot wound. Grayson faces three first-degree murder charges.
Dawson Farley, his former partner on that night, testified during the trial that he was not afraid of Massey during the call, but instead feared Grayson. Farley told the jury that, while he was confused after Massey said “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” he never perceived that as a threat. He added he only unholstered his gun because Grayson did.
Grayson took the stand in his own defense. He testified that finding broken windows on her car, her 911 call for help and waiting four minutes for her to answer the phone made him concerned someone else was inside. He also said he believed she may have been “under the influence of something” and said she appeared “scatterbrained.”
He also testified that he perceived Massey holding the pot of hot water from the stove as a threat.
