Former Deputy Found Guilty of Murdering Sonya Massey the Woman Who Called 911 for Help
Former Illinois sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the killing of Sonya Massey, a woman who tragically lost her life after calling 911 for help.
The verdict came Wednesday afternoon after a week-long trial in Sangamon County. The jury began deliberating Tuesday morning and returned with a unanimous guilty verdict, bringing a long-awaited sense of justice to Massey’s grieving family and community.
Grayson, who was arrested in July 2024, fatally shot Sonya inside her own home — after she called authorities to report a possible prowler outside.
The Chilling Moments Captured on Bodycam
According to investigators and graphic body-cam footage released following the shooting, what began as a routine welfare call escalated into a deadly confrontation within minutes.
Video evidence shows Massey turning off a stove burner and carrying a pot of boiling water toward her sink. Grayson, visibly agitated, is heard ordering her to drop the pot multiple times before suddenly stepping around the counter and firing his weapon.
A second deputy on the scene witnessed the entire incident. Massey collapsed from her injuries and was later pronounced dead.
The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office swiftly terminated Grayson’s employment, stating his actions “violated both department policy and basic human decency.” Grayson later claimed that he feared Massey was going to throw the boiling water at him — a defense that prosecutors and the jury ultimately rejected.
Family’s Fight for Justice
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represented Massey’s family, called the verdict a “powerful message that Black women’s lives matter and that law enforcement must be held accountable.”
Crump, along with Sonya’s father James Wilburn, had long dismissed Grayson’s account, citing the body-cam footage as undeniable proof that Massey posed no immediate threat.
“Sonya called for help, not to be killed in her own kitchen,” Crump said following the verdict. “Today’s ruling is a step toward justice — but the loss of Sonya will forever haunt her family.”
In addition to the criminal case, the Massey family reached a $10 million civil settlement earlier this year, compensating for the immense pain and suffering caused by the shooting.
A Tragic Reminder and a Call for Change
The case has reignited nationwide conversations about police accountability, mental health response training, and the disproportionate use of force against Black Americans — especially women.
For Sonya’s loved ones, the verdict marks the end of a painful chapter but also a renewed commitment to advocate for systemic reform.
“We can’t bring Sonya back,” Wilburn said tearfully outside the courthouse. “But we can make sure this never happens to another daughter, another sister, or another mother again.”
Grayson now faces sentencing in the coming weeks and could serve up to 20 years in prison.
