Sean Grayson murder trial: Former Illinois deputy guilty of murder

A former Illinois sheriff's deputy has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey. The 31-year-old woman called 911 in July 2024 after reporting a possible intruder at her home in Springfield, Illinois. Grayson had initially denied all charges but was ultimately convicted of killing Massey.

During the seven-day trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Massey's final words were "I'm sorry" as she tried to defuse the situation before being shot three times by Grayson in the face. The defense claimed that Massey's actions were aggressive and threatened Grayson, leading him to believe he was in danger.

Grayson initially told investigators that Massey had been aggressive towards him but bodycam footage showed her trying to calm him down. His partner corroborated this account on the stand. However, prosecutors pointed out that when Massey said "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus," Grayson believed it was a threat and shot her.

The defense attorney claimed that the outcome of the trial was driven by Massey's actions but did not provide evidence to support their claim. The prosecution countered that the defendant let his emotions dictate the outcome of the case, leading to Massey's death.

Grayson faces a potential prison sentence ranging from four to 20 years for his role in the fatal shooting. Sentencing is set for January 29, 2026.

omg this is so crazy the whole thing just doesn't add up, i mean grayson had no proof that massey was threatening him and now she's dead lol what if he was really scared and just lost it?? his partner said he was calm before but then suddenly he's a murderer idk man. i feel for massey's family tho, this is so sad.

I'm totally shook by this whole thing. It's wild that Grayson went from denying all charges to being convicted of murder . The fact that Massey said "I rebuke you" and Grayson believed it was a threat is just mind-blowing . I don't think the defense did enough to prove their side of the story, imo . It's clear that emotions got the best of Grayson and that's what led to her death . The verdict is in and now he's gotta face the consequences . Fingers crossed for a fair sentencing on Jan 29th #JusticeForSonya #SecondDegreeMurder #PoliceAccountability

this case got me thinking - how often do we judge someone by their profession? grayson was a deputy sheriff, but that doesn't automatically make him a good guy. seems to me like he let his emotions get the best of him and poor sonya massey paid the price for it . i'm not saying she was innocent or anything, but the way the defense attorney spun this whole thing just didn't add up. they were trying to make her out to be some kind of threat, but the bodycam footage shows otherwise . plus, grayson's partner corroborated his account, so that suggests he wasn't just making it all up . guess what gets me is how this trial could've been avoided if only everyone involved had kept their cool . still got a lot to think about...

This guy Grayson is kinda lucky, lol . I mean, come on, he just let his emotions get the best of him and now Sonya Massey's gone . The defense attorney's argument that she was being aggressive doesn't hold water - bodycam footage showed her trying to calm him down .

And don't even get me started on the "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus" thing... like, how is that even a threat? . It's just some random phrase she said and Grayson somehow took it as a death sentence .

The prosecution seems to have made some solid points about Grayson letting his emotions dictate the case, but at least he's being held accountable now . Four to 20 years is still a pretty hefty sentence, though... I guess you could say justice was served .

I guess it's no surprise that justice took its sweet time to catch up with Grayson. Seven days? Really? That's what you get when you let a former cop turn out to be a hot mess . The "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus" thing is pretty laughable, like he was trying to sound as intimidating as possible... meanwhile, his partner was right there, corroborating that Massey was actually just trying to calm him down . Guess it's true what they say, folks: when you've got a badge and a gun, you can get away with just about anything .

OMG I'm so relieved that justice has been served! That poor woman Sonya Massey was just trying to report an issue and ended up getting killed by a supposed 'protector' Grayson's actions were totally unacceptable and it's amazing that he got convicted for his role in her death. The way the prosecution showed the bodycam footage and the witness statements really highlighted how Grayson jumped to conclusions and reacted violently. I hope he gets the max sentence and can't harm anyone else again 20 years is still too long but better than nothing, right? Fingers crossed for a swift and fair sentencing on Jan 29th!

Ugh, this whole thing is wild . So the cop is saying that Sonya was being aggressive and threatening him, but all the bodycam footage shows her trying to calm him down . And then she says "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus" which somehow triggers him to shoot her three times in the face . Like, come on dude . It's not like that phrase has anything to do with actual faith or spirituality - it sounds super random and threatening to a cop who's already stressed out .

I'm just so frustrated that we have to be at the mercy of our justice system and its biases . We need better training for cops on de-escalation techniques and how to handle high-pressure situations without resorting to violence . This whole thing is just a tragedy .

I'm still trying to process what happened to Sonya Massey... it's just heartbreaking thinking about that phone call she made to 911 and how it led to her untimely death . I feel so bad for the family and friends who lost her. The whole thing seems kinda weird, though - like Grayson was convinced she was threatening him when really she was trying to calm him down . I'm not gonna lie, it's a bit frustrating that the defense didn't provide any solid evidence to back up their claims... it just feels like they were trying to spin this whole thing in Grayson's favor . Anyway, my thoughts are with Sonya's loved ones and I hope justice is served soon .

omg can u believe this dude Grayson got caught red handed like who tries to use the Bible as an excuse to shoot someone and poor Sonya Massey she was just trying to calm him down and what happens? BOOM three bullets to the face ouch i guess that's what they mean by "I rebuke you"... in a very bad way anyway, Grayson better hope he doesn't get too many years behind bars or he'll be singing a different tune

It's a tragic reminder that words can be misinterpreted and lead to devastating consequences. We should always strive to communicate effectively and avoid jumping to conclusions, as "Assumptions are the thief of joy" . The fact that Massey's final words were meant to defuse the situation only highlights how quickly emotions can take over in such situations. It's up to us to be mindful of our own biases and try not to let them cloud our judgment, as "the truth is rarely pure and never simple" .

what's up with these cops man... Grayson's excuse of Sonya being aggressive just doesn't add up all that bodycam footage and her partner confirming she was trying to calm him down. Like, you're a cop, you've gotta be able to read the situation better than that. And now he's paying for it with his freedom? the justice system can be messed up sometimes... at least Massey got to say sorry before she died hope Grayson gets some time behind bars

I'm not gonna say he's innocent but can we question whether this whole thing was really about Massey being aggressive or if it was just a case of Grayson losing control? I mean, come on, she was trying to calm him down and then says that Bible verse... it's not like she's gonna start summoning demons or something. The prosecution keeps saying he let his emotions get the best of him but what about Massey's actions leading up to that point? Did Grayson not consider her words as a threat too? It's all so black and white. I'm not buying it. Maybe we should be looking at this from both sides... or maybe that's just my devilish side talking .

man this whole thing is just so tragic Grayson's guilt was basically shown on those bodycam vids - it's crazy how they tried to spin that Sonya said something 'threating' and he believed it but honestly it sounds like he just lost his cool The prosecution showed how Grayson let his emotions cloud his judgement which is a total red flag hopefully the sentencing will be fair and he gets what's coming to him

idk what's so new about cops getting away with murder . this case seems like more of the same old thing - one cop says it was self defense and another cop corroborates them . but let's be real, that "I rebuke you" line was probably just a mistake on Massey's part and not even a threat at all . anyway, grayson's gonna do 10-15 years easy . nothing too crazy here.

can we talk about how crazy this situation is? i mean, grayson had no business shooting someone who was literally trying to calm him down , and then he has the nerve to say that massey was aggressive towards him when his own partner said otherwise . it's like, if you're gonna accuse someone of being hostile, at least have the decency to not be hostile yourself .

and what really gets me is how grayson's defense team tried to spin this whole thing as massey's fault . i mean, come on, that's just not true . it sounds like they were trying to shift the blame onto her without any real evidence .

anyway, i'm just glad that justice is finally being served and grayson is gonna have to face the consequences of his actions . 20 years is a pretty steep sentence, but i guess you can't put a price on someone's life

I don’t usually comment but... it’s so sad what happened with Sonya Massey . I feel bad for her family and friends who have to go through this pain. The whole situation just seems like a misunderstanding that got out of hand. I think the bodycam footage was really telling, showing how calm Sonya was trying to be, but Grayson just reacted in a way that no one should ever react to someone they care about. It’s crazy that he let his emotions take over and ended up killing her . It's also concerning that the defense didn't have any real evidence to back up their claims about Massey being aggressive... it just feels like Grayson got what he thought was coming to him without much consideration for the facts .

Ugh I'm so angry about this case !!! The police officer was like "I had to shoot her 'cause she was being aggressive" and it's just so not fair ...the footage shows she was trying to calm him down, what more evidence do you need?! His partner even said he was with him when Massey told that prayer thing, but the officer just blew her off . It's like they're saying "I'm in danger" and then we'll shoot you ...can't they see how ridiculous that is? The prosecution proved it all too well, I don't get why the jury didn't see that he was the one who escalated things . Now Grayson gets to face some prison time, but 4-20 years?! That's still way too lenient if you ask me ...

man.. this whole thing feels so wrong it's like the defense attorney was playing with fire and Grayson got burned. the bodycam footage shows Massey trying to calm him down but the defense just twists it to say she's aggressive... meanwhile the prosecution is saying that Grayson let his emotions take over and now someone's dead . it's not even about who's right or wrong, it's about how we can all learn from this and try to do better in situations like this. maybe we can't always control our reactions but we can try to be more mindful of how they affect others .

man this trial was super messed up I was followin the story and Grayson just lost it when Massey said those words it's like he took her final words as a threat and went full on psycho ‍ but what really gets me is how his defense team tried to shift the blame onto her she's the one who called 911 for cryin out loud, it was only natural that Grayson would feel threatened in that situation I don't think there's any way to spin this as Greyson being the real victim here...anyway, sentencing is comin up and I hope he gets a serious sentence for his crimes