Juror deliberations began Tuesday, October 28, 2025, following closing arguments in the murder trial of former Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson. The former deputy, who is facing three counts of first-degree murder, testified in his defense yesterday regarding the shooting of Sonya Massey, who was unarmed the night she was fatally shot. Grayson faces 45 years in prison if convicted.

Defendant Testifies

Grayson testified on Monday in the 2024 death of Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old black woman and single mother of two. His defense tried to paint the picture for the jury of why he would resort to using his gun instead of another method to defuse the situation. He testified that he did not use his stun gun because he was concerned whether it would be effective with her clothing. “I didn’t want to take the chance of the Taser malfunctioning,” Grayson said. “The Taser doesn’t work on everybody.”

Grayson spoke with confidence on the stand as he was questioned by the prosecution, and spoke directly to the jury as he recounted the incidents that led up to the fatal shooting on July 6, 2024. He and his partner, Dawson Farley, responded to Massey’s home in Springfield, Illinois, after she called 911 about a suspected prowler. 

Leading up to the final altercation, Grayson testified that when he and Farley arrived at the home, there was a vehicle with broken windows parked outside, which was later revealed to belong to Massey. The two deputies heard voices coming from inside, and Grayson expressed his concern when the door was not immediately answered. Once Massey opened the door, she asked the deputies not to help her, and she needed help. Grayson described her behavior as “all over the place.”

Pot of Boiling Water

Grayson was asked about his body camera, which started rolling 12 minutes after his partner’s. He admitted to the court that he “ should have turned it on when I saw the broken windows of the car outside.” At first, he did not notice anything off about the home, but became concerned when she abruptly and quickly went to the kitchen to turn off the stove burner.

The altercation that broke out, leading to the untimely death, was over a pot of boiling water that Massey was holding in her kitchen, feet away from the officers. Massey is heard on the body camera footage saying, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” with the pot in her hand. Grayson perceived that as a threat and felt she was going to throw the water at him, which led to him pulling his gun. “I wasn’t quite sure what she was going to do,” he said. After he pulled his gun, she immediately cowered, but he still fired three shots. 

Defense attorney Daniel Fultz questioned Grayson about the incident in which it was revealed that he had a stun gun on him. However, he did not believe it to be effective due to Massey’s clothing. He said he issued a warning before drawing his gun and warned her, “We are trained to use force that will gain compliance.” Fultz then asked him in regard to the gun, “You believe that was the only option you had that was lethal enough to stop the active threat?” To which Grayson replied, “Yes.”

Closing Arguments

The body camera footage was played in court for the jurors to see firsthand. Grayson testified that he moved forward in the video once Massey picked up the pot because he wanted to confirm she did not have any weapons on her. He was going to attempt to detain her for aggravated assault on an officer. The prosecution argued the footage proves Massey was not a threat to him or his partner, and Grayson’s actions are unjust. 

Following Grayson’s testimony, the defense rested its case, and closing arguments began and concluded on Tuesday. The jury heard from 15 witnesses, including Grayson, his deputy partner, other fellow Sangamon County deputies, investigators, and law enforcement witnesses, to determine whether his actions were justified.

Two defense experts argued that his use of force was appropriate in the situation. On the prosecution’s side, expert witnesses in police training claimed Grayson’s reaction was what escalated the situation, and he was not being threatened.