SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The trial of a former police officer charged with the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, a Black woman who sought police assistance, is set to commence over a year after the tragic incident.

Sean Grayson, a 31-year-old former deputy with the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department in Illinois, is facing three counts of first-degree murder, to which he has pleaded not guilty.

Opening statements are scheduled for Wednesday, marking the start of the trial. Should Grayson be found guilty of murder, he could face a prison sentence ranging from 45 years to life. Prosecutors have decided to drop additional charges of aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct.

The incident dates back to July 6, 2024, when Massey, a 36-year-old single mother of two, called 911, fearing a prowler might be near her Springfield residence. Grayson, who is white, arrived with another deputy and found no intruder. However, Grayson instructed Massey to remove a pan of hot water from the stove.

Body-camera footage, which is expected to be a crucial piece of evidence in the trial, reveals an exchange where Grayson and Massey shared a moment of levity as she moved the pan. The atmosphere shifted when Massey declared, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” Grayson later explained to investigators that he interpreted her words as a threat to his life. In the resulting confusion, he fired three shots, tragically hitting Massey just below the eye.

The incident has prompted continued questions about U.S. law enforcement shootings of Black people in their homes and generated a change in Illinois law requiring fuller transparency on the background of candidates for law enforcement jobs.

A jury of 10 women and five men, including three alternates, will hear testimony that’s predicted to end next week. The questioning of prospective jurors on Monday by Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser and defense attorney Daniel Fultz focused on attitudes toward law enforcement during a volatile time in America.

Witnesses scheduled to testify for both the state and defense are reported to be experts in police training, generally accepted police practices, use of force, body camera video, use of video in investigations and the review of incidents involving the use of force.

The national attention the case has garnered prompted Sangamon County Circuit Judge Ryan Cadagin to move the trial from Springfield to Peoria, 167 miles (269 kilometers) southwest of Chicago.