Peoria, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – This will be the live blog for the Sean Grayson murder trial.  Grayson, a former Sangamon County Sheriffs Deputy, is charged with murder and other counts for the death of Sonya Massey in July, 2024.  Grayson has pleaded not guilty and has claimed self defense.

WTAX and CapitolCityNow’s Will Stevenson is covering the trial at the Peoria County Courthouse, moved there from Springfield due to pre-trial publicity.

This story will be updated throughout day one of the trial.  However, most of this day will likely be spent on jury selection.  Click “refresh” on your browser to see the latest entries.  A new post will be created every day during the trial.

4:50pm: Eight women, four men are selected. One woman and two men are alternates. They have been sworn in as a jury. Opening statements will take place Wednesday at 9am. Cadigan says there will be some “issues” taken up tomorrow. Jurors are being asked to not do any outside research, or read, watch, or listen to any news reports. That includes, the judge says, using the internet to look up details or research on the trial, now that they’re sent home for the day.

A number of motions and responses regarding evidence have since come up, and will be taken up in court Tuesday at 9am. Defense attorneys say they are in a “terrible downward spiral” because of “tardy filings,” responses to tardy filings. “They madness needs to stop,” said the defense. “We filed them in plenty of time,” said Milhiser.

4:45 pm: “Alright, we have a jury,” said Judge Ryan Cadigan. Three alternates have been selected.

4:17pm: Several times during jury questioning today, at some of the more lighthearted moments in the proceedings, Grayson could be seeing looking at the jurors, or even smiling. Case in point is a comment by a prospective juror who said she hopes the trial doesn’t go into November first, when she is scheduled to take a vacation. She was reassured that the trial should end a few days before that. Another prospective juror, later dismissed, also cited an upcoming vacation as to why she would be concerned about jury service.

4:06pm: Among those that have been watching the proceedings today is Joe Roesch, Sangamon County Circuit Clerk. During a recent court break, he went up to James Wilburn and introduced himself. Given that it’s still jury selection, the courtroom is still relatively empty. Only about a dozen reporters are here, representing outlets like WTAX/Capitol City Now, our news partners at WAND-TV, WCIA, WICS, Capitol News Illinois, The New York Times, the State Journal-Register, the Illinois Times, and WMBD-TV, among a couple others. The 24 seats made available for media are expected to be full, along with the rest of the courtroom, once opening statements are made. We were told this morning that there is a pre-approved list of members of Massey’s family that will be in the courtroom.

3:48pm: In this panel of jurors, almost all said they had family members or friends in law enforcement. As has been the case with the other panels, some are saying it will not impact their ability to be fair and impartial, while others were more hesitant.

3:27pm: In the new set of prospective jurors, one says she works for a non-profit that might cause her difficulty to be fair and impartial, and like many others, she also heard about the case through the media.

3:16pm: Four more jurors have been selected. No others have been asked to stay. We have 12 jurors, but the next 12 prospective jurors are being called for the purposes of picking alternates. They are jurors 37-49.

2:56pm: After a brief break to charge this laptop, in a third group of 12 prospective jurors, several more had heard of the case, and at least three more jurors said at first that they weren’t sure they could be impartial. “I feel like I have formed an opinion,” said one prospective juror. Some jurors expressed concerns about being fair and impartial because of having family members who have law enforcement. One said she has a brother in law enforcement, and she “idolized” him growing up. Another juror said it would be unfair to judge a former member of law enforcement after they acted in the moment. In questioning the jurors, Fultz says the case needs jurors who say more than “I think I can” when it comes to being fair and impartial. A potential juror said she is self-employed, but would be able to be fair and while being concerned about not having any money come in. We are about to find out how many more jurors will be picked from the third panel of 12.

1:25pm: Four more jurors have been picked, including two who were held over from the first group. Three have been asked to stay in the gallery. The rest have been dismissed. This comes after a somewhat lengthy break where some jurors were questioned behind closed doors.

Even if the full jury is picked today (four more jurors plus likely two alternates), opening arguments are still not expected to start until Wednesday.

12:37pm One juror expressed concern about the idea of juries wanting to wrap things up as quickly as possible. This man said he served on a jury several decades ago.

12:21pm: One juror raised her hand when asked if she thinks it’s fair to sit in judgement of someone else. The same juror raised her hand when asked if she’s not in “the right frame of mind” to try this case.

11:57am: Two jurors say they could not be fair and impartial because of media coverage of the case.

11:52am Ten of the next twelve prospective jurors admit to having heard of the case. One heard about the case “through friends”, others through the media, and another through a coworker. A juror said she doesn’t know if she can be impartial, but later said she can follow the evidence and the law.

11:46am: Four jurors have been selected. Six people have been dismissed, while there’s two people who will remain in the courtroom. Prospective jurors 13-24 are the next to be brought into the courtroom and be questioned.

One of those who was picked admitted to recently having both knees replaced, and said she needs frequent breaks so she can walk.

11:28am: Court is mostly empty for jury selection, outside of about a dozen reporters and court employees. But, sitting right behind media on the left side of the courtroom was James Wilburn, Sonya Massey’s father. Once jury selection is done and the trial is complete, the courtroom is expected to be packed.

11:15am: A juror expresses concern about serving on the jury based on the high-profile nature, and how that may be problematic after the fact. Another juror, a mother of four, says she’d thought through the possibility of serving in a trial for “seven or eight days”. Her father is a former military police officer.

Following that question, Judge Cadigan says there will be a break, at which point he says jurors will be selected in panels of four.

11:06am: A prospective juror says she moved to Peoria from Decatur a couple years ago, and has seen videos about the case and other items on social media. She was asked if she formed an opinion of the case, and she had, but believes she can be fair and impartial. Another juror is getting married at the end of the month, but says she can give her attention to this case. “We’re eloping,” the juror said. Fultz responded: “I don’t think you’re supposed to tell anyone that,” to a laugh from most in the courtroom.

10:50am: Defense attorney Dan Fultz questions first prospective jurors now. Says “it’s very much in the interest of justice” to find jurors that will be impartial and will only focus on the evidence. “We don’t care what the answer is; we care that the answer is true” in questions raised during jury selection. One juror was questioned about a past home invasion, and how police handled that.

10:38am: During a sidebar, defense attorneys objected to, essentially, trying the case through jury selection and was close to filing an objection. The judge overruled any sort of objection. The judge says he can be referred as a “former police officer.” Defense wants it as a “standing” objection. Apparently the question is whether or not Grayson can be called a “former” officer. A similar issue was raised in one of the last pre-trial hearings in the case.

10:32am Who believes police should use any amount of force they want in the moment? None of the prospective jurors raised their hands. Any juror thinks they would not be a good fit for the case despite what they’re heard? No jurors raised their hands.

10:25am: One juror admits to reluctance because he has been on a jury for a murder trial before. They expect to talk to him later in private. No jurors said it was unfair to judge a police officer after the fact on his activities when on a call. Other questions centered on use of force by a police officer.

10:20am: With the first set of prospective jurors, Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser will now question jurors. Milhiser wants to know, among other questions, whether they know any law enforcement officers. Some say they’re related to law enforcement or know them, and at least one says he knows of employees in the courthouse. One said “absolutely not” when asked if that could make them reluctant to bring back a guilty verdict.

9:59am: Defendant Sean Grayson is in the courtroom with his defense attorneys, wearing a dark-colored suit. The State is represented by Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser, along with another attorney, Assistant State’s Attorney Mary Beth Rodgers.

9:55am: Would someone believe the testimony of a police officer because they are a police officer? No hands were raised in the first group of prospective jurors. Jurors are also being asked if they understand that the defendant is presumed innocent. Do they understand if the state must prove a defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

9:50am: Jurors are being asked questions about if they know anyone in the courtroom, other jurors, and anyone else in the gallery. A number of prospective jurors raised their hands when they were asked if they have heard of this case. They’re being asked if they can make a fair and impartial decision “solely based on the evidence” and the law. Of the first group of twelve prospective jurors, all twelve have said they heard of the case.

9:45am: Media has been allowed in to the courtroom along with the first group of prospective jurors. Jury questioning with Judge Ryan Cadigan is about to begin. 

9:01am: Myself and a dozen or so other reporters are waiting to enter Roon 210 at the Peoria County Courthouse for the first time, after getting set up with media credentials, etc. Up to 24 have been approved to be allowed in the courtroom at any time. We can see out a second floor window a dozen or more people at the designated area for a rally, mostly organized by a Facebook group of Peorians supporting the Massey family. Potential jurors entered the Peoria County Courthouse prior to any rally-goers showing up.

There is a heavy police presence around the Peoria County Courthouse. Media members are parked a block or so away, near Main and Washington in Peoria. Cameras and microphones are not allowed in the courtroom, as is Sangamon County Judge Ryan Cadigan’s preference. But I should be able to slip out from time to time, in order to file reports for WTAX. We can use our laptops in the courtroom, so this blog will have the most up-to-date information.