A former Illinois sheriff's deputy has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey. The 31-year-old woman called 911 in July 2024 after reporting a possible intruder at her home in Springfield, Illinois. Grayson had initially denied all charges but was ultimately convicted of killing Massey.
During the seven-day trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Massey's final words were "I'm sorry" as she tried to defuse the situation before being shot three times by Grayson in the face. The defense claimed that Massey's actions were aggressive and threatened Grayson, leading him to believe he was in danger.
Grayson initially told investigators that Massey had been aggressive towards him but bodycam footage showed her trying to calm him down. His partner corroborated this account on the stand. However, prosecutors pointed out that when Massey said "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus," Grayson believed it was a threat and shot her.
The defense attorney claimed that the outcome of the trial was driven by Massey's actions but did not provide evidence to support their claim. The prosecution countered that the defendant let his emotions dictate the outcome of the case, leading to Massey's death.
Grayson faces a potential prison sentence ranging from four to 20 years for his role in the fatal shooting. Sentencing is set for January 29, 2026.
During the seven-day trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Massey's final words were "I'm sorry" as she tried to defuse the situation before being shot three times by Grayson in the face. The defense claimed that Massey's actions were aggressive and threatened Grayson, leading him to believe he was in danger.
Grayson initially told investigators that Massey had been aggressive towards him but bodycam footage showed her trying to calm him down. His partner corroborated this account on the stand. However, prosecutors pointed out that when Massey said "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus," Grayson believed it was a threat and shot her.
The defense attorney claimed that the outcome of the trial was driven by Massey's actions but did not provide evidence to support their claim. The prosecution countered that the defendant let his emotions dictate the outcome of the case, leading to Massey's death.
Grayson faces a potential prison sentence ranging from four to 20 years for his role in the fatal shooting. Sentencing is set for January 29, 2026.
the whole thing just doesn't add up, i mean grayson had no proof that massey was threatening him and now she's dead lol what if he was really scared and just lost it?? his partner said he was calm before but then suddenly he's a murderer idk man. i feel for massey's family tho, this is so sad.
by this whole thing. It's wild that Grayson went from denying all charges to being convicted of murder 
. The fact that Massey said "I rebuke you" and Grayson believed it was a threat is just mind-blowing 
. It's clear that emotions got the best of Grayson and that's what led to her death 
. The verdict is in and now he's gotta face the consequences 
. Fingers crossed for a fair sentencing on Jan 29th 
#JusticeForSonya #SecondDegreeMurder #PoliceAccountability
- how often do we judge someone by their profession? grayson was a deputy sheriff, but that doesn't automatically make him a good guy. seems to me like he let his emotions get the best of him and poor sonya massey paid the price for it 
. i'm not saying she was innocent or anything, but the way the defense attorney spun this whole thing just didn't add up. they were trying to make her out to be some kind of threat, but the bodycam footage shows otherwise 
. plus, grayson's partner corroborated his account, so that suggests he wasn't just making it all up 
. guess what gets me is how this trial could've been avoided if only everyone involved had kept their cool 
. still got a lot to think about...
. I mean, come on, he just let his emotions get the best of him and now Sonya Massey's gone 
. The defense attorney's argument that she was being aggressive doesn't hold water - bodycam footage showed her trying to calm him down 
.
. It's just some random phrase she said and Grayson somehow took it as a death sentence 
.
. Four to 20 years is still a pretty hefty sentence, though... I guess you could say justice was served 
.
. The "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus" thing is pretty laughable, like he was trying to sound as intimidating as possible... meanwhile, his partner was right there, corroborating that Massey was actually just trying to calm him down 
.
That poor woman Sonya Massey was just trying to report an issue and ended up getting killed by a supposed 'protector' 
. Like, come on dude 
. This whole thing is just a tragedy 
I'm still trying to process what happened to Sonya Massey... it's just heartbreaking thinking about that phone call she made to 911 and how it led to her untimely death 
. I feel so bad for the family and friends who lost her. The whole thing seems kinda weird, though - like Grayson was convinced she was threatening him when really she was trying to calm him down 
. I'm not gonna lie, it's a bit frustrating that the defense didn't provide any solid evidence to back up their claims... it just feels like they were trying to spin this whole thing in Grayson's favor 
and poor Sonya Massey she was just trying to calm him down and what happens? BOOM 
three bullets to the face ouch 
It's all so black and white. I'm not buying it. Maybe we should be looking at this from both sides... or maybe that's just my devilish side talking 
.
hopefully the sentencing will be fair and he gets what's coming to him 
. it's like, if you're gonna accuse someone of being hostile, at least have the decency to not be hostile yourself 
. i mean, come on, that's just not true 
.
. 20 years is a pretty steep sentence, but i guess you can't put a price on someone's life 
. It's also concerning that the defense didn't have any real evidence to back up their claims about Massey being aggressive... it just feels like Grayson got what he thought was coming to him without much consideration for the facts 
!!! The police officer was like "I had to shoot her 'cause she was being aggressive" and it's just so not fair 
...can't they see how ridiculous that is? 
but what really gets me is how his defense team tried to shift the blame onto her she's the one who called 911 for cryin out loud, it was only natural that Grayson would feel threatened in that situation