Sean Grayson has been sentenced to the maximum 20 years in prison for his second-degree murder conviction in the July 2024 fatal shooting of Sonya Massey. Grayson was a Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy at the time responding to a burglary call at Massey’s home in unincorporated Springfield.
Prosecutors presented many victim impact statements and several members of Massey’s family addressed the court.
Massey’s father, James Wilburn, said Grayson showed no remorse and should never have been given a badge or gun. Massey’s mother, Donna Massey, told Grayson she “rebuke(s) you in the name of Jesus,” which Sonya Massey told Sean Grayson before he fired the fatal shot.
State’s Attorney John Milhiser called for the maximum sentence and said Grayson was the aggressor.
Defense attorney Mark Wykoff asked Judge Ryan Cadigan not to allow public opinion to influence his decision. Grayson said he was sorry, adding that he made a lot of mistakes and terrible decisions that night. Judge Cadigan said Grayson will receive credit for time already served in custody and will be required to serve two years of mandatory supervised release after serving his prison sentence.
