Murder of Sonya Massey

On July 6, 2024, Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old unarmed Black woman, was murdered by Sean Grayson, a 30-year-old White deputy of the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office, in Woodside Township near Springfield, Illinois, United States. Massey had called 911 about a possible prowler in her house. Grayson and Sheriff's Deputy Dawson Farley responded and found nothing after searching the vicinity. Moving inside her house, the deputies requested her ID, and Massey began searching for it. The situation escalated quickly when Massey removed a pot of boiling water from her stove after Grayson asked for its removal. Massey lifted the pot and said twice, "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus." Grayson screamed that he would "fucking shoot [her] right in [her] fucking face," and drew his service pistol. Massey apologized and ducked behind a counter. Grayson then shot at her three times, fatally wounding Massey with one shot in the head. Grayson was fired by the sheriff's office and charged with three counts of first-degree murder on July 17, 2024. He claimed self-defense at his trial, which began on October 20, 2025. On October 29, the jury found him guilty of second-degree murder. He was given the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on January 29, 2026.