Where is Sonya Massey's killer? Sean Grayson update nearly 2 years later

On July 6, 2024, Sonya Massey was fatally shot at her residence by Sean Grayson, a deputy from Illinois.

The incident incited protests and a response from President Joe Biden.

Over a year after the event, in October 2025, a court found Grayson guilty of second-degree murder, and by January 2026, he was sentenced.

"I made some grave misjudgments that night," Grayson admitted during his January 29 sentencing, as reported by The New York Times. "I’m deeply sorry. I wish there was a way to bring her back. I truly regret what happened."

Grayson served as a deputy with the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office in Illinois.

He joined the office in May 2023, according to the Associated Press, and was dismissed shortly after Massey's shooting in July 2024, per The New York Times.

Before getting hired by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, Grayson had a record of misconduct.

As per ABC News, Grayson was discharged from the US Army due to "serious misconduct." He faced DUI charges twice, one each in August 2015 and July 2016.

In his four-year law enforcement career, Grayson reportedly had six different jobs, according to ABC News.

Massey was a 36-year-old Black woman and the mother of two residing in Springfield, Illinois.

On July 6, 2024, she contacted the police regarding a potential intrusion at her home, and two deputies responded. After they examined the backyard and the home's perimeter, Massey allowed them to enter.

Bodycam footage shared by The New York Times shows Massey on her sofa before she stood to remove a pot of water from the stove.

The video captures her saying to the officers, “I rebuke you in Jesus' name.” Grayson cautioned her not to, threatening to shoot her in the face.

Moments later, he drew his gun and ordered her to set down the pot. After some verbal exchange, he fired multiple shots, one of which struck Massey in the face, leading to her death.

Massey was publicly recognised as a victim, but she was also remembered as a mom to her children: a son, Malachi, and a daughter, Summer.

As per the Associated Press, Massey had been confronting mental health issues and had checked into a 30-day inpatient treatment shortly before her death but returned home two days later.

In his report post-incident, Grayson stated he fired at Massey out of fear she might throw hot water on him.

"I instructed Sonya to put down the hot liquid. She claimed she would rebuke me in Jesus' name," he noted in his report, as cited by the Associated Press. "She repeated it twice. To me, that signaled an intent to harm me."

"As I neared the cabinet, Sonya rose from a crouched stance, grasped the pot, lifted it over her head, and threw it," Grayson elaborated. "I perceived an immediate risk of being scalded, which could lead to severe harm or death."

On July 17, 2024, Grayson was terminated from the sheriff's department on the same day he faced charges of "murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct," according to the Illinois Times.

Grayson has been held in custody since initially being charged, as reported by the Associated Press.

His sentencing followed an October 29, 2025 conviction for second-degree murder. He was given the maximum allowable sentence for this crime in Illinois.