A former Illinois sheriff’s deputy has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the death last year of a householder who had reported a suspected intruder.
Mother-of-two Sonya Massey, 36, was fatally shot on 6 July 2024 at her home near Springfield, Illinois, after calling 911 about a possible prowler.
Ex-officer Sean Grayson, 31, said he opened fire because he thought Massey was about to throw a pot of boiling water on him after she said: “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”
He was charged with first-degree murder, but the jury was allowed to convict him of the lesser charge of second-degree murder. Grayson faces up to 20 years in prison.
