Sean Grayson sentenced to 20 years in prison for Sonya Massey shooting
Sean Grayson has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the murder of Sonya Massey in Sangamon County, Illinois, in 2024.
Grayson, 31, was found guilty last October of second-degree murder for the shooting of Sonya Massey.
The judge gave Grayson 20 years, the maximum sentence allowed, in the Illinois Department of Corrections, followed by two years of mandatory supervised release. He has the right to appeal his sentence.
As he explained his sentence, the judge said firing three rounds threatened others in the neighborhood, and that a strict sentence was necessary to "deter others from acting under the same circumstances." He noted the defense argued that this situation was unlikely to happen again, as Grayson, now a convicted felon, can no longer have a gun or serve as a police officer, but said he believes the shooting was the result of Grayson's temper and mindset. The judge also said he believes probation would "depreciate the seriousness of the crime."
If Grayson serves his full sentence, he will be 51 when he is released.
The judge set March 6 as the hearing date for that appeal.
Speaking after sentencing, Massey's 16-year-old daughter Summer expressed gratitude.
"I'm grateful for all the love and support that everyone has come out and shown," she said. "I'm grateful that we got the maximum sentence that we could. Twenty years is not enough. They did what they could do."
"We serve an awesome God because never in the history of these United States has a law enforcement officer been given this kind of sentence," said James Wilburn, Massey's father, after court. "A maximum sentence of 20 years. We don't think that's enough, and the law needs to be changed here in Illinois."
Wilburn said he will now work to get Grayson charged federally for violating his daughter's civil rights.
Grayson is expected to serve at least half of his sentence.
Massey's family gives emotional testimony in court
Massey's family was in court for the sentencing, along with a number of family members dressed in purple. When the sentence came down, one of Massey's family members shouted, "Yes!" When the hearing was complete, the family stood crying as one thanked God. Massey's mother Donna also thanked the court at large.
Massey's mother and father testified in the hearing, and her two teenage children all made statements at sentencing.
"This traumatic experience has caused deep loss in my life," Massey's daughter Summer told the court. "Since her death, I have not been the same person."
Her son Malachi told the judge, "My soul is ripped. It's like a part of me is really dead."
"This is like pain I can't explain," he continued. "Sometimes I really wake up and believe she's really here. It's unbelievable."
Her father, James Wilburn, told the court that while he is bent, he is not broken, but that his family continues to suffer in the wake of her loss.
"Her laugh, cooking, voice," Wilburn said. "I will never hear again, 'Daddy, I love you.'"
Her mother told the court, "I cried every day. I lost my short-term memory. Today, I'm afraid to call the police for fear that I may end up like Sonya."
"She was one of the smartest, sweetest people I ever knew," she continued.
Grayson's attorneys submitted character letters on behalf of their client, and argued that the jury convicted Grayson on a lesser charge, as he was tried for first-degree murder, and that his life and livelihood have been severely impacted by the conviction. They asked for probation or conditional discharge, saying Grayson would comply with the terms, has been well-behaved on release and had previously successfully completed probation.
The defense also said Grayson was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer in 2023, which has now spread to the liver, and separately has been diagnosed with Stage 4 rectal and lung cancer, and argued imprisonment would be dangerous for his health.
The judge said they did not see any evidence that Grayson's cancer treatment would be different in prison compared to outside of prison.
What happened in the Sonya Massey shooting?
In July 2024, Massey, a 36-year-old unarmed Black woman, called police for help for a possible prowler outside her home.
Inside the home, Grayson said Massey began acting erratically and rebuked him "in the name of Jesus" while walking towards a pot of water on her stove. Body cam video from Grayson's partner captured the moment he shot Massey, who died of a gunshot wound.
Grayson's body camera was not activated for most of the call, only turning on shortly after he pulled his weapon.
At trial last fall, Dawson Farley, Grayson's former partner on the night of the Massey shooting, testified during the trial that he was not afraid of Massey during the call, but instead feared Grayson. Farley told the jury that, while he was confused after Massey said "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus," he never perceived that as a threat. He added he only unholstered his gun because Grayson did.
Grayson also took the stand in his own defense at trial. He testified that finding broken windows on Massey's car, her 911 call for help and waiting four minutes for her to answer the phone made him concerned someone else was inside. He also said he believed she may have been "under the influence of something" and said she appeared "scatterbrained."