US EditionClosing Arguments to Begin | Inside the Courtroom: Sean Grayson Trial
Grayson testified he feared a threat when Massey held boiling water during a 2024 police call; the trial highlights contested police use-of-force protocols.
- On Oct. 27, 2025, Sean Grayson, former Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy, testified in Peoria, Illinois, recounting moments leading up to the July 6, 2024 shooting as defense attorney Daniel Fultz questioned him.
- Responding to a prowler call, deputies Dawson Farley and Sean Grayson entered Sonya Massey's Springfield home, where she held a pot of boiling water in her kitchen, which Grayson said concerned him.
- Defense expert Glyn Corbitt argued the shooting aligned with training, saying `Pulling the trigger was the tactically sound thing to do`, while prosecution experts said body-worn camera footage showed Grayson escalated the situation.
- The jury will reconvene Oct. 28 to receive a second-degree murder instruction, with closing arguments set for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in Peoria before Judge Ryan Cadagin.
- The case has drawn national attention to police use-of-force and mental-health intersections, and if convicted, Sean Grayson faces 20 to 60 years plus a 25-year-to-life enhancement, with Antonio Romanucci saying `She wasn't well at that moment`.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Closing Arguments to begin | Inside the Courtroom: Sean Grayson trial
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) -- Closing arguments are scheduled to begin shortly and by day's end, there could be a verdict in the Sean Grayson murder trial. A Peoria County jury -- the case was moved here due to pretrial publicity -- will deliberate on whether Sean Grayson should be found guilty or acquitted of first-degree murder charges for the July 6, 2024, shooting death of Sonya Massey. Jurors will also have the ability to consider a lesser charge …
The Michigan Chronicle
Ex-Deputy Admits He Opted For Gun Over Taser In Sonya Massey Shooting
Former Illinois sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson claims he shot Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman, because he didn’t trust his stun gun to work through her clothing. “I didn’t want to take the chance of the taser malfunctioning,” Grayson testified in court on Monday (October 27), per NBC News. “The taser doesn’t work on everybody.” During Monday’s court appearance, Grayson recounted the moments leading up to the July 24 shooting of Massey as …
Lock Him Up: Sean Grayson Murder Trail Continues, Police Expert Describes ‘Unsound’ Decsions, Jury Views Body Camera
Source: Feverpitched / Getty Sonya Massey’s “alleged” murderer, former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson, is currently standing trial, and Massey’s family, along with many in the community and beyond, are praying for swift justice. BOSSIP previously reported on the happenings of the trial that suggest Grayson is closer to being found guilty than going home for Thanksgiving based on testimony from his former partner, Dawson Farley, an…
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