Sonya Massey’s Family Angered Over Ex-Deputy’s Lesser Conviction, Reveals Apology From His Mother
Sonya Massey’s family expressed frustration over Sean Grayson’s lesser conviction and shared that his mother apologized.
Black News 
Members of Sonya Massey’s family voiced their frustration on Oct. 29 after Sean Grayson, originally charged with three counts of first-degree murder, was convicted of a lesser charge of second-degree murder, CBS News reports. The verdict spared him a potential life sentence for killing Massey, a 36-year-old unarmed Black woman, who was shot in her kitchen after calling the police for help.
“He told my child he would shoot her in the F-ing face, and he did it. And all we got was a second-degree murder conviction out of this?” Massey’s father, James Wilburn, said. “He was in six police departments in three and a half years. That is shameful.”
Grayson’s family seemed to show remorse, said Teresa Haley, a family friend.
“The mother came over and apologized, and she said, ‘We did not raise him that way. And I’m really sorry for your family,'” Haley said. “My heart goes out to them. We lost Sonya, but they lost a son, and what he did for Sonya, he has to pay, and they realize that.”
Grayson’s family offered additional apologies in the courtroom and gave their seats to Massey’s loved ones who came for the verdict, according to CBS News’ Jericka Dunkin.
Grayson, a Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy in Illinois, shot Massey after she called police to check on a suspected prowler. He claimed he acted in self-defense, saying Massey approached a boiling pot of water while behaving erratically, and he perceived it as a threat. Prosecutors said that he failed to provide medical aid afterward.
The trial centered on disturbing body cam footage from Grayson’s partner. A 12-person jury deliberated about 12 hours before reaching a verdict.
Grayson’s sentencing is set for January. He could receive a maximum of 20 years in prison. Earlier this year, Sangamon County agreed to a $10 million wrongful death settlement with Massey’s family.
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