Sean Grayson receives maximum sentence

A Sangamon County judge on Jan. 29 gave former sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson the maximum sentence – 20 years in prison – for the July 2024 murder of Sonya Massey, culminating a nationally publicized case that led to ongoing discussions and action locally to bridge racial divides.

A cheer went up in the courtroom and Donna Massey, Sonya’s mother, said, “Thank you God, thank you God,” as the hearing concluded.

Read more about the sentencing and the two different cases (criminal and civil) involving Grayson and Massey from Dean Olsen in the Illinois Times.