Trial begins for former Illinois lawmaker charged with Sonya Massey’s murder

The trial of a former Illinois lawmaker accused of killing Sonya Massey began Monday in Peoria, Illinois.

Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman and mother of two, was fatally shot in July 2024 after calling authorities to her Springfield home due to concerns about a prowler, officials said. Body camera footage shows two deputies responding to the incident, including then-Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson.

Grayson, who is white, shot Massey three times, saying in a report written after the incident that he feared bodily harm because she was holding a pot of boiling water and said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” »

Nearly two weeks after Massey’s murder, Grayson was fired and charged with three counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated battery and one count of official misconduct. He pleaded not guilty and was detained pending trial.

Grayson’s trial began Monday morning with jury selection. No cameras were allowed in the courtroom and the trial was expected to last one to two weeks.

The case ignited a national storm, prompting protesters across the country to demand justice for Massey, who suffered from mental health issues, according to his family. In February, Sangamon County authorities agreed to pay a $10 million settlement to Massey’s family, a step their attorney, Ben Crump, called “only the first step on the path to justice.”

In April, a judge granted a change of venue for the trial from Sangamon County to Peoria after receiving a request from defense attorneys who said media coverage and the nature of the case had “shaped public perception, making it difficult to distinguish fact from speculation,” NBC Chicago reported.

A group of people gathered Monday morning for a rally outside the Peoria County Courthouse, holding signs calling for justice for Massey. One sign read: “Unite now against racist violence.”

“No justice, no peace. Prosecute the police,” the crowd chanted.

Keri Hayes, chairwoman of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Racial Justice Committee in Peoria, was one of the few people outside the courthouse.

“I really feel like this is a senseless murder that happened, and I really want the police to be held accountable,” she told NBC News.