
Inside the courtroom: Jury could decide the fate of Sean Grayson in his murder trial this week
Testimony resumes Monday in the trial of Sean Grayson, the former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy who fatally shot Sonya Massey.

Testimony resumes Monday in the trial of Sean Grayson, the former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy who fatally shot Sonya Massey.

Grayson was charged with first-degree murder after shooting Sonya Massey, 36, in her kitchen after she called to report a prowler outside her home southeast of Springfield in 2024.

Friends, family and members of the community gathered in Springfield Sunday to remember Sonya Massey, who was shot and killed by a Sangamon County deputy in her unincorporated Springfield home a year ago.

A memo shows county officials have negotiated with the family’s lawyers and both sides reached a deal for the county to pay $10 million.

Former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson remains behind bars for the death of Sonya Massey. But a court is being asked to release him while he awaits his murder trial. Grayson, 30, is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct. He has pleaded not guilty. Grayson is being held

Sean Grayson had a history of credibility issues. It didn’t stop him from being hired at police departments in Central Illinois.

Updated with additional reporting about Grayson’s claims to have been discharged honorably and the circumstances of his hire at the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office. Sean Grayson, the former Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy now charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, was previously discharged from the U.S. Army for serious misconduct, military records