The trial of the former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy accused of murdering Sonya Massey in July 2024 will take place in Peoria County with jurors who live there, Circuit Court Judge Ryan Cadagin decided April 8.
The judge ruled in favor of a motion filed by attorneys for Riverton resident Sean Grayson, 30, to move the trial outside Sangamon County because extensive pretrial publicity would make it impossible to select an impartial jury.
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Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser didn’t oppose the defense motion during the hearing, and neither did Massey’s family. Family members said they will make the 75-mile trip north every day to attend the trial.
It’s unclear when a trial in the Peoria County Courthouse would begin. Cadagin scheduled another hearing – at 11:30 a.m. April 23 – to discuss and potentially decide on that detail and others for a trial that likely will, like other aspects of the case, receive national media attention.
Cameras are allowed in the courtroom in Illinois at the discretion of local judges, but Cadagin so far has turned down all media requests to allow video and audio recording.
Grayson has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, official misconduct and aggravated battery with a firearm.
Massey, a Black mother of two teenagers who was dealing with mental health issues, received a fatal gunshot wound to the head from Grayson, a white deputy, after Massey called 911 shortly before 1 a.m. July 6. Authorities said Massey feared there was a prowler in her neighborhood and summoned police to her unincorporated Woodside Township home just outside Springfield city limits.
The ensuing confrontation between the 230-pound Grayson, who stood 6 feet 3 inches tall, and the 110-pound Massey, who stood 5 feet 1 inch tall, inside Massey’s modest home was captured on body-worn video from Grayson and another sheriff’s deputy, who wasn’t charged.
The viral bodycam video showed Grayson using profanities and saying he feared that Massey, who was unarmed, might splash boiling water on him a few seconds before he fired three shots at her. One of the bullets hit Massey in the face.
The racial overtones in the case elevated Massey’s death to those of others highlighted nationally as examples of police brutality and unfair policing. The Massey family is represented by civil rights lawyer Ben Crump and agreed to a $10 million settlement with Sangamon County government in exchange for not filing a wrongful death lawsuit in civil court.
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After the hearing, Springfield resident Sontae Massey, 53, one of Sonya Massey’s cousins who sat with other family members and friends in the courtroom audience, said he and others were annoyed by Grayson’s demeanor.
“I’m not accustomed to being around killers, but … he seemed awful jovial for somebody that shot a woman in the face,” Sontae Massey said. “We will continue to be at these meetings, and we will continue to seek justice.”
Grayson, wearing a black and white striped jail outfit, appeared in person in court, rather than on video, for the first time since he was arrested. He was clean-shaven, in contrast to the moustache and beard shown in his mugshot on the website of the Macon County Jail, where he is being held.
Grayson appeared calm and occasionally smiled when interacting with Mark Wykoff, one of his attorneys, during and immediately after the hearing.
Springfield resident Teresa Haley, a community activist and friend of the Massey family, told the news media outside the courtroom that the family believes moving Grayson’s trial outside Sangamon County won’t reduce the likelihood of a conviction.
“The location does not change the outcome,” Haley said. “He assassinated her, and I think anybody in America will agree that he should be sentenced to life, so that’s what we’re going for.”
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This article appears in Young offenders in Illinois still serving life sentences.
Was this case not investigated by the FBI? Sean Grayson is charged with a capital crime. Murder is a felony. This crime was committed by a public official, who was a member of and empowered by Illinois government. No judicial circuit, county court, or State’s Attorney has the authority of jurisdiction. Grayson should have been federally indicted. He should not be in held in anyone’s county jail. He should be in the custody of the US Marshalls and tried in US District Court of the Central District of Illinois.
In the pursuit of justice, the adversary is artbitrary authority.