Murder trial for former Illinois sheriff's deputy who killed Sonya Massey set for October
The murder trial for the former Illinois sheriff's deputy who shot and killed Sonya Massey last year has been scheduled for October.
A judge on Wednesday scheduled former Sangamon County Sheriff's Deputy Sean Grayson's trial to begin on Oct. 20
On July 6, 2024, Grayson and another Sangamon County deputy responded to a 911 call from Massey. Minutes later, body camera video shows Grayson shooting and killing Massey in her Springfield home.
She had checked on a pot of boiling water while saying "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus."
Grayson has said he was afraid that Massey was going to splash him with boiling water from her stove, but was fired nearly two weeks after the shooting, and later charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery and official misconduct. He has pleaded not guilty.
Earlier this month, a judge moved the trail from Sangamon County to Peoria County, after agreeing with Grayson's attorney that publicity from the case made it impossible to find an impartial jury in Sangamon County.
In February, the Sangamon County Board approved a $10 million settlement with Massey's family.
