The former sheriff’s deputy charged with the murder of Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman killed inside her Illinois home, had worked for six different police agencies since 2020, state law enforcement records reveal.
Sean Grayson, 30, who is white, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct charges stemming from the July 6 incident. He was recently fired by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, told AP News.
Authorities said Massey had called 911 to report a suspected prowler. Two deputies, including Grayson, arrived at her Springfield home, about 200 miles southwest of Chicago. Sheriff’s body camera footage released Monday shows Grayson yelling at Massey to set down a pot of hot water. After threatening to shoot the unarmed woman, Grayson fired his pistol, hitting Massey three times, including a fatal shot to her head.
At a news conference in Springfield, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing Massey’s family, said the Justice Department had opened an investigation into the incident. “There have been some concerns and revelations by the family that we think need to be investigated,” Crump said.
James Wilburn, Massey’s father, called for Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell to resign. “I want to tell y’all the sheriff here is an embarrassment,” Wilburn said. “This man (Grayson) should have never had a badge. And he should have never had a gun. He should have never been given the opportunity to kill my child.”
Grayson’s career included short stints as a part-time officer at three small police departments and full-time positions at two sheriff’s offices. He was most recently employed by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office on May 1, 2023. His law enforcement certification is currently suspended.
Wilburn and Donna Massey, Sonya’s mother, met with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton. “They understood that oftentimes the Sonya Masseys of the world don’t get due process of the law,” Crump said.
The family is urging Congress to approve the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, both of which aim to address police misconduct and protect voting rights. “Every member of Congress needs to vote today so that nobody else in this United States of America has to go through what we’re going through,” Wilburn said.
Vice President Kamala Harris also called on Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. “Sonya Massey deserved to be safe,” Harris said. “After she called the police for help, she was tragically killed in her own home at the hands of a responding officer sworn to protect and serve.”
Massey’s oldest child, 17-year-old Malachi Hill Massey, expressed his grief, saying, “I don’t have no words for this.”
Grayson remains held without bond in the Sangamon County Jail. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison for the murder charge, with additional sentences for battery and misconduct.