A jury has found former Illinois Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson guilty of second-degree murder for the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, a Black mom of two who called 911 seeking help, only to be killed in her own kitchen less than half an hour later.

NBC News reports that Grayson, who was originally charged with three counts of first-degree murder, was convicted of the lesser charge after jurors deliberated for nearly 11 hours. A first-degree murder conviction could have meant up to life in prison. The second-degree murder conviction could carry a sentence of anywhere from four to 20 years or, shamefully, parole with no prison time at all.

As previously reported by NewsOne, Massey, 36, called authorities last July from her Springfield, Illinois, home after believing a prowler was outside.

See Full Page