In Peoria, Illinois, a jury delivered a verdict on Wednesday, finding a sheriff’s deputy guilty of second-degree murder in the case involving the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, a Black woman who had dialed 911 to report a suspected intruder.

Sean Grayson now faces a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, with the possibility of probation. The jury opted not to convict him of first-degree murder, which would have involved a much harsher penalty ranging from 45 years to life imprisonment.

The verdict has sparked outrage among those close to Massey.

“I’m overwhelmed with anger right now,” expressed Sontae Massey, Sonya’s cousin. “When an officer threatens to shoot you in the face and follows through, and all he receives is a second-degree charge, it speaks volumes about the justice system. Today, it functioned exactly as it was designed, and it’s not designed for us.”

A call for help and a fatal encounter

This case has reignited discussions about law enforcement’s use of force against Black individuals in their residences and has led to legislative changes in Illinois. The new law demands greater transparency regarding the backgrounds of individuals pursuing careers in law enforcement.

Massey’s father, James Wilburn, called for the Illinois measure to become law nationally, along with stalled federal police misconduct and civil rights legislation.

“There’s a difference in this country when you have my skin color and Grayson’s skin color,” Wilburn said. “We need serious justice, not a miscarriage of justice.”

Grayson, who is white, and another deputy arrived at Massey’s home in Springfield early on July 6, 2024, after she reported hearing someone banging on the outside of her house. He shot the 36-year-old woman after confronting her inside about how she was handling a pot of hot water on the stove.

Grayson and his attorneys argued that he fired his gun in fear that Massey would scald him with the hot water, contending at one point that Massey provoked the encounter by threatening to throw the pot at him.

“Anybody who watched the video and thinks that it was partly Sonya’s fault is inhumane,” Massey’s mother, Donna Massey, said after the verdict. “And for them not to give him life, and Sonya got life – and death … I can’t wait until he goes to hell.”

Grayson, 31, who was fired upon his indictment, was charged with first-degree murder, but the jury was given the option of considering second-degree murder, which can apply when a defendant faces a “serious provocation” or believes their action is justified even if that belief is unreasonable. He will be sentenced on Jan. 29.

State’s Attorney John Milhiser would not comment as he left the courtroom. He was repeatedly praised by Massey’s supporters for pursuing a trial that was moved 75 miles (120.7 kilometers) north to the Peoria County courthouse because of intense publicity in Springfield.

Defense attorney Daniel Fultz declined to comment after the verdict.

Officer testified in his own defense

Body camera video recorded by another Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy at the scene, Dawson Farley, was a key part of the prosecution’s case. It showed Massey, who struggled with mental health issues, telling the officers, “Don’t hurt me,” and repeating, “Please God.”

When the deputies entered the house, Grayson saw the pot on the stove and ordered Farley to move it. Massey jumped up to retrieve the pot, and she and Grayson joked about how he said he was backing off from the “hot, steaming water.” Massey then replied, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”

Grayson immediately warned her that he would shoot her in the face. He and Farley drew their pistols and yelled at Massey to put the pot down. Grayson, who testified in his own defense, told investigators he thought her “rebuke” meant she intended to kill him and, in the following commotion, fired three shots, striking Massey just below the eye.

Former justice says probation off the table at sentencing

While probation is a possible punishment, former state appellate court Justice David Erickson, a professor at Chicago-Kent College of Law, said it’s unlikely.

“There will be no probation because of the killing of an innocent woman,” Erickson said. “Obviously, the jury could not find any intent to kill, necessary for murder one.”

But Erickson predicted Grayson would get a sentence on the low end of the four- to 20-year range — which comes with day-for-day credit if he behaves behind bars — because Grayson has no criminal record, lacked intent to kill, and believed, mistakenly, that he was in danger.

Despite family members’ anger, Antonio Romanucci, one of the lawyers who helped Massey’s relatives win a $10 million settlement from Sangamon County, said, “Make no mistake: Sean Grayson is convicted of murder. He is a murderer now.”

Farley testified that Massey didn’t say or do anything that caused him to view her as a threat. But under cross-examination, he acknowledged that he initially reported to investigators that he feared for his safety because of the hot water. Farley did not fire his weapon and was not charged.

Massey’s death forced the early retirement of the sheriff who hired Grayson and generated a U.S. Justice Department inquiry that was settled when the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department’s agreed to bolster de-escalation training, work with mental health professionals when necessary and generate data on use-of-force incidents.