A jury on Wednesday convicted an Illinois sheriff’s deputy of second-degree murder, a lesser charge, in the shooting death of Sonya Massey, a Black woman who called 911 to report a suspected prowler.

Sean Grayson could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison or even probation. The jury did not convict him of first-degree murder, a crime that carries a sentence of 45 years to life.

Massey's supporters were angered by the result.

Her father, James Wilburn, called it a “miscarriage of justice.”

“She called for help and she was murdered in her own home. ... Second-degree murder — that is not right. That is not justice for anybody’s family,” Teresa Haley, a civil rights activist in Springfield, Illinois, told reporters outside the courthouse.

Grayson and another deputy arrived at Massey’s home in Springfield early on July 6, 2024, after she reported a prowler.

He shot the 36-year-old woman after confronting her about how she was handling a pot of hot water on the stove.

Grayson and his attorneys argued that he fired his gun in fear that Massey would scald him with hot water, contending at one point that Massey provoked the encounter by threatening to throw the pot at him.

Grayson, 31, was charged with first-degree murder, but the jury was given the option of considering second-degree murder, which can apply when a defendant faces a “serious provocation” or believes their action is justified even if that belief is unreasonable.

He will be sentenced on January 29.

State’s Attorney John Milhiser would not comment as he left the courtroom.

He was repeatedly praised by Massey's supporters for pursuing a trial that was moved 75 miles (120.7 kilometers) north to the Peoria County courthouse because of intense publicity in Springfield.

Defense attorney Daniel Fultz declined to comment after the verdict.

Body camera video recorded by another Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy at the scene, Dawson Farley, was a key part of the prosecution’s case.

It showed Massey, who struggled with mental health issues, telling the officers, “Don’t hurt me,” and repeating, “Please God.”

When the deputies entered the house, Grayson saw the pot on the stove and ordered Massey to move it.

Massey jumped up to retrieve the pot, and she and Grayson joked about how he said he was backing off from the “hot, steaming water.” Massey then replied, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”

Grayson immediately warned her that he would shoot her in the face.

He and Farley drew their pistols and yelled at Massey to put the pot down.

Despite family members' anger, Antonio Romanucci, one of the lawyers who helped Massey’s relatives win a $10 million settlement from Sangamon County, said, “Make no mistake: Sean Grayson is convicted of murder. He is a murderer now.”

Farley testified that Massey didn’t say or do anything that caused him to view her as a threat.

But under cross-examination, he acknowledged that he initially reported to investigators that he feared for his safety because of the hot water. Farley did not fire his weapon and was not charged.

Massey’s killing raised new questions about U.S. law enforcement shootings of Black people in their homes, and prompted a change in Illinois law requiring fuller transparency on the background of candidates for law enforcement jobs.