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- Sonya Massey was killed in her own home after calling 911 for help
- Sean Grayson has two DUI convictions
- Massey’s killing prompted Illinois police reform
- Forensic pathologist testifies Massey could’ve survived
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
Sean Grayson, an ex-Illinois sheriff’s deputy, is on trial for murder charges after he fatally shot a Black woman who called 911 for help last summer.
Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old single mother of two teenagers, called 911 on July 6, 2024, to report a suspected prowler on her property near Springfield, Illinois. When Grayson responded to the call, he fired his gun at Massey in her home after confronting her over a pot of hot water she was holding.
Massey’s killing prompted calls for reform and a wave of protests in several cities, including Chicago, New York City and Atlanta. Former President Joe Biden also issued a statement mourning Massey and condemning her killing.
“Sonya’s death at the hands of a responding officer reminds us that all too often Black Americans face fears for their safety in ways many of the rest of us do not,” Biden said.
Grayson, who is white, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges. His trial began Monday and has included bombshell testimony from forensic pathologist Nathaniel Patterson, who told the jury Massey could’ve survived if she had received prompt medical treatment.
Here’s what to know about the case:
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Sonya Massey’s family members hold a poster with her photo and a diagram from her autopsy report. Massey was killed in her home on July 6, 2024, by a Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy (AP)
Sonya Massey was killed in her own home after calling 911 for help
Massey called emergency responders on July 6, 2024, over a suspected prowler on her property. Grayson, a Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy at the time, responded to the scene with his partner, Sheriff’s Deputy Dawson Farley. Body camera footage shows Grayson and Farley entering Massey’s home.
As the officers spoke to Massey, she went to her kitchen and started handling a pot of hot water. Grayson backed away, and Massey asked why. He told her it was to avoid the “hot, steaming water.”
Massey responded, “Away from my hot, steaming water? I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” Grayson later said he thought this remark meant she wanted to kill him.
Grayson drew his gun and yelled for her to drop the pot. Massey apologized, dropped the pot and ducked behind the counter, but as Grayson continued to shout, she appeared to pick it up again, according to the Associated Press.
Grayson then fired his gun three times, hitting Massey once on the left side of her face. She was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
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Former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson points his gun at Sonya Massey in her kitchen (AP)
Sean Grayson has two DUI convictions
Grayson, 31, was fired from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office and arrested less than two weeks after the shooting.
Grayson worked at six different law enforcement agencies over four years before he was hired by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department. Grayson has also been convicted twice of driving under the influence. His first DUI conviction led to his discharge from the U.S. military in 2016, according to the Associated Press.
There’s no indication Grayson was fired from any jobs before he was hired by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, but his past supervisors did express concern about him, the Associated Press reports. One department reported he had a good attitude but struggled to write reports, was “not great with evidence” and was “a bragger,” according to the outlet.
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Sean Grayson’s Macon County jail booking photo. Grayson has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges (AP)
Massey’s killing prompted Illinois police reform
Two months ago, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed “Sonya Massey’s Bill” into law. The bill revised police hiring procedures in the state and required agencies to “comprehensively review an applicant’s employment history — including detailed employment records — before making a job offer,” according to a statement from Pritzker’s office.
The law seeks to increase accountability and prevent “future tragedies such as the killing of Sonya Massey,” the statement reads.
“Today, I sign Sonya Massey’s Bill to help prevent these tragedies, to better equip law enforcement to keep our communities safe, and to continue working to build a justice system that protects all of our citizens,” Pritzker said.
Massey’s family also reached a $10 million settlement with the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department in February 2025. In a statement at the time, Massey’s family called for “more robust background checks, and the greater sharing of work history and personal history for applicants to law enforcement roles.”
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Demonstrators in Chicago, Illinois, gathered with signs to protest the killing of Sonya Massey in July 2024. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed “Sonya Massey’s Bill” into law in August, which seeks to ‘promote policy accountability’ and ‘prevent future tragedies such as the killing of Sonya Massey.’ (Getty Images)
Forensic pathologist testifies Massey could’ve survived
Grayson’s trial began Monday with jury selection. Each side gave opening statements on Wednesday morning, and about a dozen witnesses have testified since.
Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser said Wednesday that it will “be clear the defendant, without lawful justification, in the home of Sonya Massey, shot and killed her.” Meanwhile, defense attorney Daniel Fultz told the jury that “there is no crime if you decide the shooting was lawful.”
Patterson, a forensic pathologist with the Sangamon County Coroner’s office, testified Thursday that Massey could have survived her gunshot wound if medical aid had been given soon afterward and the bleeding had been controlled, according to local outlet WICS. When defense attorney Mark Wykoff noted that some people still die after receiving medical treatment for a cut internal carotid artery, Patterson responded, “That’s very true.”
This came after bombshell testimony on Wednesday from Farley, the sheriff’s deputy who responded with Grayson to Massey’s home. Farley told the court he went to retrieve a medical kit after the shooting, but Grayson said it wasn’t needed because Massey had been shot in the head, according to local outlet WAND News.
“I was caught off guard by the comment, it wasn’t our training,” Farley said, according to the outlet.
Farley testified that he still rendered first aid, but later heard a sergeant say there was nothing that could be done. Massey was still breathing as this happened, Farley reportedly said.
The jury also heard from Louis Dekmar, a retired police chief from LaGrange, Georgia, who testified Thursday as an expert witness on police policy and procedure. Dekmar said he reviewed both officers’ body camera footage and believes Grayson violated department policies, according to WAND News. Dekmar also said he determined that Massey did not show threatening behavior before Grayson drew his weapon.
Under cross-examination, Dekmar was asked if he thought Grayson was acting out of fear when he drew his weapon. Dekmar responded that Grayson’s actions were “inconsistent of fear and threat,” WAND News reports.
Seth Stoughton, a law professor from the University of South Carolina’s Joseph F. Rice School of Law, also testified Friday that Grayson’s actions were tactically “unsound,” and that he does not believe Massey posed a threat, according to WAND News.
The trial is expected to take a week and a half.
The Independent has contacted the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s office and Grayson’s defense attorneys for comment. The Massey family’s attorney declined to comment, citing ongoing court proceedings.
