Ex-Illinois deputy sentenced for murder of Sonya Massey

Sean Grayson, the former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy who was convicted of second-degree murder for fatally shooting Sonya Massey in 2024, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday.

Grayson, 31, was convicted in October. He received the maximum possible sentence. Grayson has been incarcerated since he was charged in the killing. 

Grayson can shorten his sentence by half with good behavior. 

Sonya Massey and Sean Grayson | Provided

After the sentence was read, Massey’s family members who were sitting in the court cheered “Yes!” The judge admonished them.

Grayson apologized during the sentencing, saying 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.”

Earlier, the judge heard from Massey’s parents and two children who urged the judge to carry out justice in Sonya’s name.

“Today, I’m afraid to call the police in fear that I might end up like Sonya,” her mother Donna Massey said.

After the hearing, 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, 36, was experiencing a mental health episode and had faced mental health challenges before being fatally shot. Grayson’s history with various police departments in the years before killing Massey also prompted efforts for police reforms in Illinois.

“I’ll shoot you”

The backstory:

Early in the morning of July 6, 2024, Massey called 911 to report a suspected prowler at her home outside of Springfield.

While inside Massey’s home, Grayson yelled across a counter for her to set down a pot of hot water. Police body cameras captured the tense moments.

Massey can be heard telling the deputy, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”

In response, Grayson said, “You better f***ing not. I swear to God I’ll shoot you right in your f***ing face.” He then aimed his 9mm pistol at her and told her to drop the pot.

Massey ducked behind the counter as Grayson fired his gun three times.

Another deputy at the scene with Grayson said he would get his medical kit to treat Massey, but Grayson said, “Nah [it’s] a headshot dude. She’s done. You can go get it, but that’s a headshot.” He later said “There’s nothing we can do man.”

***WARNING: The video below is graphic and disturbing. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.***

Grayson then said, “Dude I’m not taking boiling water to the f***ing head.”

One of the deputies said Massey was “still breathing but she’s losing a lot of blood from the head.”

Grayson later relented while the other deputy held towels to Massey’s head, trying to stop the bleeding. By the time Grayson returned with his kit, emergency medical professionals had arrived. When they told Grayson his help wasn’t needed, he threw his kit on the floor and said, “I’m not even gonna waste my med stuff then.”

After walking outside of the home, Grayson told other officers he was “good” and that “this f***ing b***h is crazy.”

Massey had struggled with mental illness, according to her family. Her son, Malachi Hill Massey, said that he and his teenage sister had moved in with their father because Sonya had admitted herself to a 30-day inpatient program in St. Louis just days before her death. She returned two days later with no explanation.

Last year, Massey’s family agreed to a $10 million settlement with Sangamon County over the shooting.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JULY 30: Donna Massey, the mother of shooting victim Sonya Massey, wipes away tears during a press conference at New Mount Pilgrim Church on July 30, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Sonya Massey was shot in the head and killed in her h

Shooting prompts reform

Big picture view:

After Massey’s murder, there was a larger push for more scrutiny of police officers’ work histories in the state.

It was revealed that Grayson worked either part-time or full-time at four different police agencies in central Illinois before joining the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office in May 2023.

Investigators revealed that Grayson had a history of disciplinary issues at his previous jobs and had pleaded guilty in two misdemeanor DUI cases.

Illinois lawmakers passed, and Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law SB 1953, which requires law enforcement agencies to conduct a more comprehensive review of a prospective officer’s past employment. The aim is to ensure the prospect’s physical and psychological fitness for duty, according to State Sen. Doris Turner’s (D-Springfield) office.

The law went into effect this year.