Sean Grayson sentenced to 20 years in prison for killing Sonya Massey.
On January 29, 2026, former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman who had called 911 for help from her Springfield, Illinois home in July 2024. Grayson received the maximum allowable sentence after being convicted in October 2025 of second-degree murder in her death.
The conviction followed a widely watched trial in which a Peoria jury rejected first-degree murder charges but found that Grayson’s actions went beyond lawful use of force. According to court records and body-camera footage, Massey had reported a possible prowler and interacted with Grayson and another deputy inside her house early one morning. A pot of hot water became the flashpoint of a tense encounter, and Grayson shot Massey after saying he feared being scalded.
In court Thursday, Grayson expressed remorse, saying he wished he could undo what happened. Family members of Massey, including her parents and children, had urged the judge to impose the harshest sentence permitted. When the ruling was read, they reacted audibly, a moment that underscored both grief and a sense of hard-won accountability.
The case sparked national attention, prompting protests, a U.S. Department of Justice inquiry, and changes in Illinois law aimed at officer accountability and transparency. Massey’s family also secured a $10 million settlement with Sangamon County.
