Sean Grayson Found Guilty of Second-Degree Murder

A Peoria County jury has found former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson guilty of second-degree murder for the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey inside her Springfield home in 2024.

The verdict was reached after roughly 12 hours of deliberation, concluding a six-day trial that revisited the moments leading up to Massey’s death, which occurred after she called 911 to report a possible prowler outside her residence.

Grayson and Deputy Dawson Farley responded to the call, entering the home where prosecutors said Grayson’s actions escalated a routine welfare check into a deadly confrontation. Prosecutors argued that Grayson acted out of anger, pointing to body-camera footage capturing his threat to “shoot [her] in the face” moments before firing three rounds. They contended that Massey, who appeared confused, never posed a deadly threat and that Grayson violated accepted policing standards and department policy.

The defense countered that Grayson believed he was facing imminent danger when Massey raised a pot of boiling water and that his decision to fire was consistent with law-enforcement training. Two expert witnesses supported the defense position, saying lethal force can be justified when an officer reasonably perceives a threat.

The jury’s finding of second-degree murder means jurors determined Grayson intentionally shot Massey but believed he did so under an unreasonable but genuine belief that deadly force was necessary. The conviction carries a potential sentence of 4 to 20 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for 9 a.m. on January 29.

Official Reactions:

State Senator Doris Turner

"While nothing will bring Sonya back, the jury has spoken. Today's verdict shows that no one is above the law.

I stand with the Massey family and my community as we continue to mourn the unjust loss of Sonya. Since Sonya’s murder, I’ve been committed to – and will continue to – put in the work to make necessary changes to ensure our community has trust in those who have taken the oath to protect and serve."

Sheriff Paula Crouch

“This verdict reflects the seriousness of a tragedy that has touched us all. I know many in the community are disappointed by the outcome and expected a stronger conviction, and I understand those feelings. The judicial process has spoken, and we must respect that while continuing to learn from what happened. The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office will keep building on the work already underway to improve training, strengthen accountability, and better prepare our deputies to respond to complex and unpredictable situations. We owe it to every resident, and to the memory of Sonya Massey, to continue learning and improving, guided by the lessons from this tragedy.”

Massey Commision

Today’s verdict in the State of Illinois v. Sean Graysonbrings a breathof hope anda long-delayed whisperof justice. For our community, it is a moment to close our eyes, to draw in the heavy air of truth, and to exhale the breath we have been holding for far too long.

Yet even this verdict cannot mend the wound left by the loss of Sonya Massey, a mother, a daughter, and a beloved community member. Justice, however necessary, can never replace a life. For some, this moment brings relief that the truth was finally recognized. For others, it reopens old pain and reminds us how long the road toward genuine safety and dignity remains.

As a community, we continue to grieve alongsideSonya’s family and each other. This verdictis not the final chapter in the book; it merely turns a page in a book that harmed communities are forced to read with disappointing endings. The moralmandatebefore us remains unchanged: we must meet grief not with force, not with fear or over-policing, but with care and dignity.

Accountability, withoutsystemic transformation, is not justice.It is only justice when we can truthfully examine the systems that continuously bring us to an all-too-familiar outcome. 

We are called now to listen to the pain that persists beyond the courtroom. To learn from what this tragedy exposed about the system and the silence that allowed it to refine itself over generations. And to act with courage, determination, and imagination, so that everyperson who calls for help is met with dignity, humanity, and respect for their right to life and health.

The work of justice is long. It will take every community member, elected official, faith leader, and business owner to carry it forward.We must channel ouremotionsand our energy alike into organizing, into care, into the daily labor of building a community worthy of Sonya’s memory.

Let this moment remind us that we are all responsible for one another’ssafety. Our task now is to ensure this verdict marks not an ending, but a beginning. A recommitment to a world where care and dignity are not an afterthought, but the foundation.

Trial Updates Below:

10/28/25 - Day 7: Closing arguments began Tuesday morning, with the prosecution asserting that Sean Grayson acted out of anger rather than fear when he shot Sonya Massey, calling her death “senseless and avoidable.” Assistant State’s Attorney Marybeth Rodgers told jurors that Grayson ignored his training, escalated the encounter, and followed Massey into her kitchen where she posed no threat. She replayed portions of body-camera footage, including the moments where Grayson threatened to “shoot [her] in the face” and later refused to use his medical kit, saying he wouldn’t “waste it.” The defense countered with a lengthy argument from Dan Fultz, who urged jurors to focus on the 29 seconds leading to the shooting, insisting Grayson acted lawfully under pressure and in fear of being scalded by boiling water. He criticized the state’s expert witnesses, defended the credibility of his own, and said the tragedy did not amount to a crime.

After rebuttal arguments from State’s Attorney John Milhiser, the jury received its final instructions and began deliberations late in the morning. Throughout the day, jurors reviewed body-camera footage and other evidence while submitting written questions to the court for clarification, including confusion over two separate instructions related to use of force. After extended discussion, Judge Ryan Cadagin clarified that the instructions were distinct and told jurors to continue deliberating. No verdict was reached by day’s end. The jury was dismissed at 6 p.m. and will return Wednesday morning to resume deliberations.

10/27/25 - Day 6: The defense opened the week by calling Sean Grayson to testify in his own trial, marking the first time jurors heard directly from him about the events inside Sonya Massey’s Springfield home. Grayson described responding with Deputy Dawson Farley to Massey’s 911 call about a possible prowler, recounting how he found her car with a broken window before approaching the residence. After knocking several times, he said Massey eventually answered the door and appeared confused. Inside, he noticed a pot of boiling water on the stove. According to Grayson, when Massey later lifted the pot above her head, he believed she posed an imminent threat and fired three shots. He told jurors he had considered handcuffing her for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon but fired instead after she allegedly threw water. On cross-examination, prosecutors pressed Grayson on inconsistencies in his report and questioned why he omitted details — including his statement caught on camera threatening to “shoot [her] in the face.”

The defense then called Deputy Jason Eccleston, who testified that he stayed with Grayson after the shooting and described his demeanor as “panicked.” Eccleston’s own body camera, active for only about a minute that night, captured him telling Grayson not to speak. Under cross-examination, Eccleston admitted his remark was more self-directed than advisory. The defense followed with two expert witnesses who directly contradicted the prosecution’s use-of-force experts. Glynn Corbitt, of the Georgia Public Safety Training Center, said the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office’s use-of-force policy aligns with generally accepted practices and argued that Grayson’s decision to move closer to Massey was not a tactical error. Corbitt testified that “de-escalation” is an outcome rather than a specific tactic — and that lethal force itself can sometimes serve as de-escalation when it ends a threat.

The final defense witness, Kevin Davis, a retired Akron police officer and training instructor, echoed that assessment. Davis told jurors that Grayson made multiple verbal attempts to stop Massey from throwing boiling water and that lethal force, while severe, could be justified under the totality of the circumstances. He disputed the prosecution’s earlier testimony on “officer-created jeopardy,” calling it an academic concept not widely recognized in law enforcement. Prosecutors challenged Davis on prior writings they said advocated for aggressive police tactics, though he maintained that his work aimed to explain, not promote, use of force.

With testimony complete, Judge Ryan Cadagin informed jurors that closing arguments would begin Tuesday morning at 9 a.m., followed by deliberations later in the day.

10/24/25 - Day 5: The court focused on the testimony of law-professor and use-of-force expert Seth Stoughton, who reviewed body-worn camera footage, interview reports and related materials to assess whether tactics used by Sean Grayson were consistent with generally accepted police practices. Stoughton said Grayson’s decision to draw his weapon, close distance and step in front of his partner were “tactically unsound” and increased risk of harm, especially given the occupant’s use of a boiling pot and apparent cognitive or mental-health factors. On cross-examination, the defense challenged Stoughton’s credibility, pointing out his limited patrol experience, lack of direct involvement in deadly-force incidents, and reliance on his own books and unreviewed articles.

Stoughton also addressed his use of national standards rather than department-specific policies, which drew strong objections from the defense and led to extensive debate with Judge Ryan Cadigan over whether his testimony properly qualified as expert evidence.

While the judge allowed his testimony, he emphasized that Stoughton would not evaluate whether the shooting was legal, only whether Grayson’s actions aligned with professional norms. The trial is now in recess and is scheduled to resume Monday at 9 a.m.

10/23/25 - ​​Day 4: Jurors viewed autopsy evidence as Dr. Nathaniel Patterson testified that a bullet entered beneath Sonya Massey’s left eye and exited below her left ear, with damage to a carotid artery identified as the cause of death. Patterson said survival was possible with faster first aid and transport; the jury also heard that, on body-cam, the lead deputy told his partner there was no need to grab a medical kit because it was a “head shot.” On cross-examination, Patterson acknowledged toxicology results showing Delta-9 THC and gabapentin, and he discussed his forensic experience of more than a decade.

Debate over an expert’s status dominated much of the day. Retired police chief Louis Dekmar, former head of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, was ultimately accepted as an expert and testified that department policies on de-escalation, crisis intervention, and use of force were violated, while noting policy also values the lives of responding officers. He agreed a pot of boiling water could present an immediate threat but said the video showed the deputy advancing, suggesting the occupant might have felt endangered. Additional witnesses included ISP crime-scene investigators Adam Markwell and Emily Maulding, ISP forensic scientist Hali Carls-Miller, and training instructor Anthony Rigano. The court also dismissed one juror for a personal emergency, leaving two alternates.

10/22/25 - Day 3: Opening statements began with both sides presenting sharply contrasting accounts of the shooting, followed by the jury’s first viewing of the full, uncensored body-camera footage. Prosecutors argued that the defendant “was mad” and acted out of anger rather than fear, emphasizing moments in the video where tension built over a boiling pot of water in the kitchen before shots were fired. The footage from both the defendant and Deputy Dawson Farley was played in court, showing the rapid escalation that led to Sonya Massey’s death. The viewing prompted visible emotional reactions from attendees, with some family members leaving the courtroom as the footage played.

After the video presentation, Deputy Farley returned to the stand, testifying that he did not fear Massey would harm him and that he believed his partner was the one escalating the situation. Under cross-examination, he acknowledged changing aspects of his account only after the indictment was issued, noting that he had previously declined to speak with investigators. Eric Weston of the Illinois State Police also testified, explaining that investigators initially believed more than two shots had been fired and that the pot seen in the footage was not collected as evidence until two weeks after the incident. His testimony added further scrutiny to how the investigation unfolded in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.

10/21/25 - Day 2: Tuesday’s proceedings focused almost entirely on legal motions rather than witness testimony, as attorneys debated what evidence and language would be permitted when jurors return. Judge Ryan Cadagin ruled that terms such as “justifiable” and “unlawful” cannot be used in front of the jury without prior approval and deferred several rulings on expert testimony until later in the trial. The defense objected to the use of national policing standards in evaluating Grayson’s conduct, arguing that local department policies were more relevant, while prosecutors maintained that broader standards are necessary for context. The hearing, which lasted about 40 minutes, concluded without witnesses or the jury present, with opening statements set to begin Wednesday morning.

10/20/25 - Day 1: Jury selection wrapped up after questioning potential jurors about law enforcement, public demonstrations, and the use of force. Twelve jurors — ten women and two men — along with three alternates were seated following extensive challenges and individual interviews by both sides. The process, which drew significant attention, was relocated to Peoria due to concerns about finding an impartial panel in Sangamon County. Attorneys expressed confidence that the selected jurors could weigh the evidence fairly, and the court scheduled opening arguments for the following morning.

The trial is being held in Peoria County Circuit Court after being moved from Springfield amid widespread publicity and public scrutiny surrounding the case.