Former police officer Sean Grayson guilty of 2nd-degree murder in Sonya Massey shooting

A jury has found former Sangamon County deputy Sean Grayson guilty of second-degree murder for the fatal police shooting of Sonya Massey.

Grayson was charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the 2024 deadly police shooting, and the jury was given the option of convicting him of second-degree murder. They found him not guilty on all three counts of first-degree murder.

A first-degree murder conviction could have meant up to life in prison; a conviction for second-degree murder could mean no time behind bars. The jury alerted the judge that they had reached a verdict around 2 p.m.  It was read at 2:28 p.m.

The jury deliberated for several hours after closing arguments ended late Tuesday morning before adjourning for the night. Deliberations resumed Wednesday morning around 8:30 a.m.

The jury has asked several questions and made some requests so far today. They have asked to see Grayson’s previous employment and training history, and want another look at the evidence used in the trial but what specifically they have asked for has not yet been made public.

Massey, a 36-year-old unarmed Black woman, called police for help in July 2024 for a possible prowler outside her home.

Inside the home, Grayson said Massey began acting erratically and rebuked him “in the name of Jesus” while walking towards a pot of water on her stove. Body cam video from Grayson’s partner captured the shooting; Grayson’s body camera was not activated for most the call, only turning on shortly after he pulled his weapon.

Massey died of a gunshot wound. Grayson faces three first-degree murder charges.

Dawson Farley, his former partner on that night, testified during the trial that he was not afraid of Massey during the call, but instead feared Grayson. Farley told the jury that, while he was confused after Massey said “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” he never perceived that as a threat. He added he only unholstered his gun because Grayson did.

Grayson took the stand in his own defense. He testified that finding broken windows on her car, her 911 call for help and waiting four minutes for her to answer the phone made him concerned someone else was inside. He also said he believed she may have been “under the influence of something” and said she appeared “scatterbrained.”

He also testified that he perceived Massey holding the pot of hot water from the stove as a threat.

Along with the three charges of first-degree murder, jurors were given the option to find Grayson guilty of second-degree murder charges. Prosecutors are pushing for the first-degree murder conviction, pointing out that Grayson threatened to shoot Massey in the face right before he actually did.

“The jury would then have to decide if he was acting reasonably in thinking he was acting in self-defense or whether or not that belief was unreasonable. That’s the difference between being found guilty of potentially first-degree murder and second-degree murder,” said CBS News Legal Analyst Irv Miller.