Ex‑Deputy Grayson Convicted of Second‑Degree Murder

Former Sangamon County deputy Sean Grayson was convicted Wednesday of second-degree murder for fatally shooting Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman, inside her Springfield, Illinois, home on July 6, 2024, after she had called 911 to report a possible intruder. Prosecutors showed partner body‑camera footage they said captured Grayson drawing his weapon after Massey said “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus” and pleading “Don't hurt me,” and argued she was unarmed when he fired three times, including a shot to the head. Grayson testified he acted in self-defense because he feared she would throw hot water and said his body camera was off; the defense called the death a tragic mistake. Grayson's partner, Deputy Dawson Farley, testified he saw no threat and attempted to aid Massey, and investigators identified policy violations that led to Grayson's termination before his indictment. A Peoria County jury convicted him on the lesser second-degree charge, a verdict Massey's family called a “miscarriage of justice,” and the case has heightened scrutiny of the department's use-of-force practices.