Sonya Massey’s family seeks justice as trial begins for ex-deputy who fatally shot her

Sonya Massey called the police for help. Minutes later, she was dead. Now, her family hopes this trial will bring justice for Sonya.

The trial of a former Illinois deputy accused of killing 36-year-old Sonya Massey began Monday in Peoria, Illinois, reopening wounds for a family and community still grappling with a tragedy that has come to symbolize the lethal intersection of race, mental health, and policing in America.

Massey, a Black mother of two, was fatally shot in July 2024 after calling authorities to her Springfield home over concerns about a prowler. Body camera footage shows two deputies responding to the call, including then-Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson.

Grayson, a white officer, shot Massey three times. In a report written after the incident, he claimed he feared bodily harm because Massey was holding a pot of boiling water and said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”

Almost two weeks after the shooting, the 31-year-old deputy was fired and charged with three counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated battery, and one count of official misconduct. Grayson pleaded not guilty and has been held in jail pending trial.

Now, Grayson is facing a jury in the trial that is expected to last a week and half. 

“The family of Sonya Massey continues to grieve her senseless death but also is fiercely committed to being present throughout the trial as they continue their hope for full justice for Sonya,” family attorneys said in a statement, per NBC News, as Massey’s father, James Wilburn, sat in the almost empty court gallery.

Outside, that call for justice echoed loudly. A small crowd rallied in front of the Peoria County Courthouse, hoisting signs that read, “Unite Now Against Racist Violence.” The crowd chanted, “No justice, no peace. Prosecute the police.”

“I really feel like it was a senseless slaying that happened, and I really want to see the police being held accountable,” Keri Hayes, racial justice committee chairwoman for the ACLU in Peoria told the outlet. 

According to the Associated Press, if convicted of first-degree murder, Grayson faces a sentence of 45 years to life in prison

Massey’s death ignited a national firestorm, drawing protesters from across the country who demanded justice for the 36-year-old mother, who her family says had been struggling with her mental health. Her killing raised fresh questions about why Black people continue to die at the hands of police inside their own homes, even in moments when they reach out for help. 

In February, Sangamon County officials agreed to pay a $10 million settlement to Massey’s family, a move attorney Ben Crump deemed as “only the first step in the journey for justice.”

Court records and 911 transcripts paint a fuller picture of Massey’s final days. Earlier that same week, she had checked herself into a 30-day inpatient mental health program in St. Louis, only to return home two days later without explanation. In the days before the shooting, three 911 calls were made by or on behalf of Massey. In one, her mother, Donna Massey, told authorities her daughter was suffering a “mental breakdown.” She pleaded with dispatchers: “I don’t want you guys to hurt her.”

When Grayson knocked on Massey’s door, she reportedly answered softly: “Don’t hurt me.” As he questioned her, she repeatedly murmured “Please God,” moments before she was shot dead in her kitchen.

Grayson later told investigators he wasn’t aware of Massey’s prior 911 calls or her mental health history. County officials have since acknowledged there’s no current system to relay such information to responding officers. 

Nearly a year and a half after her death, Sonya Massey’s name continues to reverberate through marches, vigils, and social media timelines, as Black communities await the result of her trial.