SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The killing of Sonya Massey in her home by an Illinois sheriff's deputy was pursued by prosecutors as a first-degree murder case with a possible life prison sentence. Then the judge gave the jury another option when deliberations began this week.

Sean Grayson was found guilty Wednesday of second-degree murder , a lesser charge with less severe consequences. Massey's family was outraged by the verdict. The Black woman's supporters called it the wrong dose of justice, noting she was deliberately shot in the face by a white police officer in her own kitchen.

Recommended Videos

Experts say a verdict form with different options is common in Illinois courts and elsewhere — if a judge believes the evidence presented at trial could plausibly justify it. Grayson testifie

See Full Page