Judge Denies Motion to Reduce Sean Grayson’s Sentence

A Sangamon County judge has denied a plea to reduce the 20-year prison sentence of former sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson. Grayson was convicted last October for the second-degree murder of Sonya Massey, an unarmed Black woman who was killed inside her Springfield home in July 2024. Authorities report Massey had called 9-1-1 for help with a possible intruder when the fatal shooting occurred. Grayson’s defense filed a motion seeking a lighter punishment, but the court upheld the original sentence imposed in January, drawing continued scrutiny and calls for justice in the high-profile case.