Members of Sonya Massey’s family, who declared victory with the recent sentencing of her killer to a 20-year prison term, say they hope her tragic death leads to policy changes in Sangamon County and nationwide.
The sentence, which likely will be appealed to a higher court by lawyers representing former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson, capped a nationally publicized case that led to discussions and action locally about bridging racial divides.
“My motivation is to continue her legacy,” Sontae Massey, a cousin of Sonya’s, said after Grayson, 31, received the sentence – the maximum allowable for second-degree murder – on Jan. 29 from Sangamon Circuit Judge Ryan Cadagin.
Sontae, 54, a Springfield resident, assisted the citizen-led Massey Commission in making local and state recommendations for policy reforms in the wake of Sonya Massey’s shooting death in July 2024 in her home in unincorporated Woodside Township.
Sontae Massey said he will work to extend the life of the volunteer commission, pass a national version of the Illinois law named in his cousin’s honor to promote more thorough background checks in the police hiring process, and pass a 0.5% Sangamon County sales-tax increase in a March 17 binding referendum.
The increase would enhance mental health services in the county through a new mental health board.
Sonya Massey’s struggle with mental illness has been cited as a factor that led to the 36-year-old’s fateful call to 911 that led to Grayson and another deputy being dispatched to her home when she suspected a prowler in the neighborhood.
Grayson’s interactions with Massey in the seconds before the fatal shooting were dissected in a jury trial that ended with Grayson’s second-degree murder conviction in October.
A cheer went up in the courtroom Jan. 29 when the sentencing was announced, and Donna Massey, Sonya’s mother, said, “Thank you God, thank you God,” as the hearing concluded.
Members of Massey’s family were calling for the maximum sentence possible. They had been disappointed with the jury’s second-degree murder verdict but said they considered the 20-year sentence a victory, even though with good behavior and time served, Grayson could be released in 8½ years.
Cliff Jones, an investigator for the Ben Crump civil rights law firm, which represents the Massey family, said the sentence “represents another meaningful step towards justice for this family. … This outcome confirms a critical principle, that no one is above the law, and unlawful use of force will carry meaningful consequences.”
The Crump law firm previously negotiated a $10 million settlement for the Massey family from Sangamon County government to avoid a wrongful death lawsuit against the county.
Summer Massey, 16, one of Sonya Massey’s two children, told the news media after the sentencing hearing that she was grateful for the sentence and grateful to prosecutors and others who sought justice for her late mother.
“Twenty years is not enough, but they did what they could do,” she said.
Sonya Massey’s father, James Wilburn, said he wants to see the Illinois General Assembly lengthen the maximum sentence for second-degree murder.
“But right now,” he said, “I’m just overwhelmed with joy. We prayed that this would happen.”
Grayson’s family members declined comment after the sentencing.
A Peoria County jury on Oct. 29 found Grayson, of Riverton, originally charged with first-degree murder, guilty of the lesser offense of second-degree murder.
Grayson, who is white, killed Massey, a Black unarmed single mother of two teenagers, in a rapidly progressing confrontation over Grayson’s fear that Massey would harm him with a pot of hot water from the stove of her kitchen.
The second-degree conviction was controversial, but Grayson is one of only a few police officers convicted of murder across the country in connection with an on-duty shooting.
Grayson would have been ensured a prison sentence of 45 years to life if convicted of first-degree murder because of enhancements related to the use of a gun and state law requiring that defendants serve 100% of a sentence for certain crimes.
The jury decided that Grayson’s actions met the legal standard for first-degree murder but that his belief he was acting in self-defense – even though that belief was unreasonable – was a mitigating factor justifying a finding of second-degree murder.
Grayson’s lawyers recommended the judge give Grayson a six-year sentence.
One of the arguments for leniency made by Grayson attorney Mark Wykoff before sentencing was that a long incarceration would cause further deterioration of Grayson’s health.
Wykoff said Grayson was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2023, and since then, the cancer has spread to his liver and lungs. Wykoff said Grayson also has been diagnosed with rectal cancer.
Grayson told Cadigan before sentencing was announced that he was sorry for his actions and for the trauma he caused the Massey family.
Hearkening back to the early morning hours of July 6, 2024, inside Massey’s home, Grayson told the judge, “I was very unprofessional that night.”
Grayson said Massey didn’t deserve to be addressed in the way he spoke to her.
“I made a lot of mistakes that night,” he said. “I made terrible decisions. I’m very sorry.”
During his trial, however, Grayson defended his actions on the stand.
Dean Olsen is a senior staff writer with Illinois Times. He can be reached at dolsen@illinoistimes.com, 217-679-7810 or www.x.DeanOlsenIT.
This article appears in February 5-11, 2026.
I appreciated how your Continuing her legacy article gives readers not just the outcome of a difficult criminal case but also the sense of how Sonya Massey’s family is turning deep loss into a push for change and reform — that thread of resilience really anchors the piece and makes the issue feel urgent and human. Did covering this story shift how you think about community accountability?