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		<title>Sonya Massey murder trial: Jury reaches verdict in trial of former Illinois deputy</title>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 29 Oct 2025 19:31:25 +0000</pubDate>
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					<description><![CDATA[A jury has reached a verdict in the trial of a former Illinois sheriff&#8217;s deputy accused of shooting and killing a Black woman in her home, according to ABC affiliate WICS in Springfield. The trial began last week for Sean Grayson, the former Sangamon County deputy who is in court over the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey [&#8230;]]]></description>
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<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao MvWXB TjIXL aGjvy ebVHC ">A jury has reached a verdict in the <a class="zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE " data-testid="prism-linkbase" href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/former-sheriffs-deputy-sean-grayson-faces-murder-trial/story?id=126616960" target="_blank" dir="ltr">trial of a former Illinois sheriff&#8217;s deputy</a> accused of shooting and killing a Black woman in her home, according to ABC affiliate WICS in Springfield.</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">The trial began last week for Sean Grayson, the former Sangamon County deputy<!-- --> <!-- -->who is in court over the fatal shooting of<!-- --> <!-- -->Sonya Massey in July 2024 after she called 911 to report a possible intruder at her home in Springfield, Illinois.</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Grayson, who is white, was charged with a total of three counts in connection with Massey’s death &#8212; first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct. He pleaded not guilty to &#8220;all counts,&#8221; his attorney told ABC News.</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">&#8220;When you threaten to shoot someone in the face, and you do, that&#8217;s first-degree murder,&#8221; Sangamon County Assistant State&#8217;s Attorney Mary Beth Rodgers said during closing arguments, according to WICS.</p>
<div class="oLzSq QrHMO fnRUo pvsTF EhJPu vPlOC zNYgW OsTsW RMeqy daRVX ISNQ sKyCY eRftA acPPc MENS nFwaT MCnQE mEeeY SmBjI xegrY rPLsU iulOd NIuqO zzscu lzDCc aHUBM IEgzD OjMNy eQqcx SVqKB GQmdz jaoD VWDdR ONJdw vrZxD OnRTz gbbfF roDbV GPGwb oMlSS gfNzt oJhud eXZcf zhVlX ">
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<div class="FvQLF iLTd NqeUA UzzHi iWsMV "><picture <picture="" data-testid="prism-picture" class="lazyload"><source media="(max-width: 414px)" data-srcset="https://i.abcnewsfe.com/a/f5d14534-020a-4c9e-b9e7-06727bba61bc/sonya-massey-mother-gty-jt-251022_1761150429158_hpEmbed_3x2.jpg?w=375, https://i.abcnewsfe.com/a/f5d14534-020a-4c9e-b9e7-06727bba61bc/sonya-massey-mother-gty-jt-251022_1761150429158_hpEmbed_3x2.jpg?w=750 2x"><source media="(min-width: 415px)" data-srcset="https://i.abcnewsfe.com/a/f5d14534-020a-4c9e-b9e7-06727bba61bc/sonya-massey-mother-gty-jt-251022_1761150429158_hpEmbed_3x2.jpg?w=750, https://i.abcnewsfe.com/a/f5d14534-020a-4c9e-b9e7-06727bba61bc/sonya-massey-mother-gty-jt-251022_1761150429158_hpEmbed_3x2.jpg?w=1500 2x"></picture></div>
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<div class="nMMea bNYiy Mjgpa dGwha DDmxa jgKNG RGHCC aBIU PriDW lZur " data-testid="prism-caption">
<p><span class="hsDdd OOSI GpQCA lZur VlFaz " data-testid="prism-truncate"><span><span class="gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ ">In this July 30, 2024, file photo, Donna Massey, the mother of shooting victim Sonya Massey, is comforted during a press conference at New Mount Pilgrim Church in Chicago.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span class="gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ YNujN JGtjI aZFDu rkKLh ">Scott Olson/Getty Images, FILE</span></p>
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<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Rodgers said the biggest lie Grayson told was that he had no choice in shooting Massey, according to WICS. The assistant state attorney said Grayson continued to lie over and over again on the stand, including when he said he attempted to turn his body camera on.</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">According to bodycam footage from his partner, Grayson, who was inside Massey&#8217;s home, points to a pot of boiling water on her stove and says, &#8220;We don&#8217;t need a fire while we&#8217;re in here.&#8221;</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Massey then pours the water into the sink and tells the deputy, &#8220;I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,&#8221; according to the video.</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Grayson threatens to shoot her and Massey apologizes and ducks down behind a counter, covering her face with what appears to be a red oven mitt, the video shows. As she briefly rises, Grayson shoots her three times in the face, the footage shows.</p>
<div class="oLzSq QrHMO fnRUo pvsTF EhJPu vPlOC zNYgW OsTsW RMeqy daRVX ISNQ sKyCY eRftA acPPc MENS nFwaT MCnQE mEeeY SmBjI xegrY rPLsU iulOd NIuqO zzscu lzDCc aHUBM IEgzD OjMNy eQqcx SVqKB GQmdz jaoD VWDdR ONJdw vrZxD OnRTz gbbfF roDbV GPGwb oMlSS gfNzt oJhud eXZcf zhVlX ">
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<div class="FvQLF iLTd NqeUA UzzHi iWsMV "><picture <picture="" data-testid="prism-picture" class="lazyload"><source media="(max-width: 414px)" data-srcset="https://i.abcnewsfe.com/a/7d48348e-b9b5-4b2d-9ae8-8e7782478405/sonya-massey-rt-jt-251022_1761150139530_hpMain.jpg?w=375, https://i.abcnewsfe.com/a/7d48348e-b9b5-4b2d-9ae8-8e7782478405/sonya-massey-rt-jt-251022_1761150139530_hpMain.jpg?w=750 2x"><source media="(min-width: 415px)" data-srcset="https://i.abcnewsfe.com/a/7d48348e-b9b5-4b2d-9ae8-8e7782478405/sonya-massey-rt-jt-251022_1761150139530_hpMain.jpg?w=750, https://i.abcnewsfe.com/a/7d48348e-b9b5-4b2d-9ae8-8e7782478405/sonya-massey-rt-jt-251022_1761150139530_hpMain.jpg?w=1500 2x"><img decoding="async" alt="" class="hsDdd NDJZt sJeUN IJwXl vBqtr KrDt itslR SjwtZ hakZw HlUVI " data-testid="prism-image" draggable="false" loading="lazy" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" data-src="https://i.abcnewsfe.com/a/7d48348e-b9b5-4b2d-9ae8-8e7782478405/sonya-massey-rt-jt-251022_1761150139530_hpMain.jpg"></picture></div>
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<div class="nMMea bNYiy Mjgpa dGwha DDmxa jgKNG RGHCC aBIU PriDW lZur " data-testid="prism-caption">
<p><span class="hsDdd OOSI GpQCA lZur VlFaz " data-testid="prism-truncate"><span><span class="gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ ">In this July 27, 2024, file photo, mourners put up candles while attending a vigil for Sonya Massey in Folger Park in Washington, D.C.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span class="gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ YNujN JGtjI aZFDu rkKLh ">Aashish Kiphayet/Nurphoto via Reuters, FILE</span></p>
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<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">&#8220;He wants you to believe that he was scared,&#8221; Rodgers said of Grayson. &#8220;But you don’t have to believe that because it’s not true.&#8221;</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">The assistant state attorney said that Massey&#8217;s final words before being shot with her hands up were, &#8220;I&#8217;m sorry,&#8221; according to WICS.</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Daniel Fultz, Grayson&#8217;s defense lawyer, said during closing arguments that what happened to Massey was a tragedy but not a crime, according to WICS.</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">“As hard as that is to hear and accept, the outcome of this particular case was driven by Sonya Massey&#8217;s actions,&#8221; Fultz said, according to WICS.</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">The defense attorney stated that when Massey said, &#8220;I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,&#8221; Grayson believed it was a threat, and the jury didn&#8217;t have to agree with the former deputy, but that’s what he believed, according to WICS.</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Fultz said that he didn&#8217;t care if the jury didn&#8217;t like Grayson as a person because that wasn&#8217;t what they were there to decide.</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">&#8220;The thing you cannot do is let your emotions dictate the outcome of this case,&#8221; the defense lawyer told the jury, according to WICS.</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">In rebuttal, Sangamon County State&#8217;s Attorney John Milhiser referenced the defense&#8217;s instruction for the jury not to let their emotions decide the results of the trial, according to WICS.</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">&#8220;Huh, that’s what happened,&#8221; Milhiser said, according to WICS. &#8220;The defendant let his emotions dictate the outcome of what happened in Sonya Massey’s kitchen.”</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">The prosecution played Grayson&#8217;s partner&#8217;s body camera footage of the shooting on a monitor, causing multiple family members of Massey to cry or leave the courtroom, according to WICS. Grayson leaned forward over a table, not watching the monitor. One juror appeared to cry as she watched the footage, holding a notepad up to her face in an attempt to hide behind it, according to WICS.</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">&#8220;Here&#8217;s this giant, dangerous pot,&#8221; Milhiser said as he held up the kitchenware for the jury to see, according to WICS.</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Chief Circuit Judge Ryan Cadagin put the court in recess as he sent the jury out for deliberation after the closing arguments, according to WICS.</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Fultz declined to provide a comment to ABC News ahead of the trial.</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">The footage released by Illinois State Police shows the incident from the partner&#8217;s point of view because Grayson did not turn on his own body camera until after the shooting, according to court documents reviewed by ABC News.</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Grayson took the stand in his own defense Monday, telling the jury he thought Massey was threatening him the night he and his partner responded to her.</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">The former deputy said that after he asked her to turn off the stove, which was heating a pot of boiling water, he thought she was threatening him and was going to throw the water at him.</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">In body camera video, Massey doesn’t appear to raise the pot until after Grayson raises his gun, a key distinction, according to prosecutors. He shoots and kills her moments later.</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Grayson told the jury that he didn’t use a taser because he had an older model and Massey was wearing multiple layers of clothing. The former deputy said he didn’t want to take the chance of it malfunctioning.</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">Before Grayson took the stand, his partner, who responded to Massey’s home with him, said on the stand that he did not see her as a threat before his partner fired his gun.</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy ">The trial began with jury selection on Monday, where a panel of 12 jurors was seated, according to WICS. The process took more than five hours and ended with a jury made up of nine white women, one Black man and two white men, as well as two white men and one white woman selected as alternate jurors.</p>
<p class="EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC eTIW sUzSN ">The trial was moved from Sangamon County to Peoria County due to extensive media publicity.</p>
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