A former sheriff’s deputy charged with the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey was found guilty of second-degree murder on Wednesday. The deputy faced a more severe charge of first-degree murder, but the jury had the option to convict on a lesser charge.

Massey’s case gained national media attention and reignited calls for reform to policing throughout the country, particularly law enforcement’s response to mental health crises. Her killing happened a week before the nine-year anniversary of Sandra Bland’s death, which elevated the #SayHerName movement’s push to raise awareness about Black women victims of police brutality.

On July 6, 2024, then-Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson, who is White, shot 36-year-old Massey while she was standing in the kitchen of her Springfield, Illinois, home without a weapon. Massey called 911 in the early morning hours because she was concerned about a potential intruder outside her home. Police-worn body camera footage show two deputies interacting with Massey while she boiled a pot of water on her stove.

Tension escalated after Massey said to the deputies, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” 

One yelled: “You better fucking not, I swear to God. I’ll fucking shoot you right in your fucking face.” Both deputies then drew their guns and demanded that Massey drop the pot of water. Though Massey attempted to duck out of the way, Grayson shot her three times, including in the face.

During the trial that began October 20, Grayson’s partner who was present at the scene testified that he did not view Massey as a threat. 

“She never did anything that made me think she was a threat,” said Sheriff’s Deputy Dawson Farley, according to reporting by ABC News.

 “It was essentially the defendant’s actions that raised my sense of awareness,” Farley said.

According to Illinois law, a first-degree murder charge can be downgraded to a second-degree offense if a defendant is able to convince a jury of one of two mitigating circumstances: 1) if the defendant acts “under a sudden and intense passion resulting from serious provocation by the individual killed,” or 2) if the defendant believes — even if unreasonably — that their circumstances justify or exonerate the killing.

The second-degree conviction can carry a sentence of four to 20 years in prison.

“While we believe Grayson’s actions deserved a first-degree conviction, today’s verdict is still a measure of justice for Sonya Massey,” attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci wrote in a statement following the verdict. “Accountability has begun, and we now hope the court will impose a meaningful sentence that reflects the severity of these crimes and the life that was lost. We will continue to fight for Sonya’s family and for reforms that protect everyone from unlawful use of force.”

In the months following Massey’s killing last year, reporters uncovered that Grayson had a history of facing misconduct allegations, both as a member of law enforcement and while serving in the U.S. Army. During his time in the Army, Grayson was arrested multiple times for driving under the influence before he was ultimately discharged in 2016. Between August 2020 and July 2024, Grayson was employed by six different police departments in the state of Illinois.

After Massey’s killing, the Sangamon County sheriff defended hiring Grayson. 

“There was no indication that anything in his background would lead to a violent event like that,” then-Sheriff Jack Campbell told reporters at the time. “There was nothing in his background that would disqualify him from being a police officer in Illinois.” Campbell stepped down in August 2024 and Paula Crouch took over as sheriff.

Illinois has since enacted the “Sonya Massey Law,” which requires background checks of applicants to Illinois law enforcement agencies. It also requires that misconduct records be disclosed without redaction and makes it easier for more Illinois counties to create police merit boards and commissions that provide oversight of police hiring and firing decisions.

In Sangamon County, which includes Springfield and other portions of central Illinois, a commission of 13 members held meetings monthly for a year to make “recommendations that expand safe and equitable access to services by addressing systemic racism and mistrust in law enforcement and other helping professions.”

The commission’s final meeting took place Monday, during which the group released a list of 26 calls to action that include urging the county to establish a crisis response and dispatch framework, and calling for countywide psychological evaluation standards for first responders.

The commission wrote on its Facebook page that the Massey Commission was created to make sure that the lives of Massey and others killed by police can “lead to change and the harm caused to them by those who were called to help them is not repeated.”