UPDATED – 3:12 P.M.

PEORIA, Ill. (25 News) – The jury has delivered its verdict in the death of Sonya Massey, finding former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson guilty of second-degree murder.

25 News reports the verdict indicates the jury found intent to harm, but no premeditation in Massey’s death, which carries different sentencing implications than first-degree murder.

Grayson, 31, faced first-degree murder charges in the July 6, 2024 shooting of Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman. The jury’s instructions were to choose between a charge of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, or not guilty.

The outcome, while a conviction, indicates that the jury found Grayson intended to cause harm to Massey, but also determined there was no premeditation in her death.

The defense

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