Illinois Deputy Sean Grayson Convicted of Second-Degree Murder in Shooting Death of Sonya Massey

The victim’s father, James Wilburn, called the jury’s verdict a ’miscarriage of justice.’

In this image taken from body camera video released by Illinois State Police on Monday, July 22, 2024, former Sangamon County Sheriff's Deputy Sean Grayson, left, points his gun at Sonya Massey, who called 911 for help, before shooting and killing her inside her home in Springfield, Ill., on July 6, 2024. Illinois State Police via AP, file

An Illinois jury convicted a former sheriff’s deputy of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old woman, inside her home.

Former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson was initially charged with first-degree murder. The Peoria County jury opted to convict him of second-degree murder, a lesser charge with a lower prison sentence.