Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Sean Grayson will learn his potential fate Thursday for shooting and killing Sonya Massey in July, 2024.

A sentencing hearing will begin Thursday at 9:00 a.m. at the Sangamon County Complex for Grayson, 31, convicted of Second Degree Murder in October, 2025, after he shot and killed Massey, 36, while responding to a call at her home as a Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy.  Grayson was charged with First Degree Murder, but after several days of deliberation, a jury in Peoria County opted for the lesser charge, believing the murder was not pre-meditated.

Grayson’s attorneys are already appealing the conviction, however, and Massey’s family said they were not happy with it, while one of Massey’s attorneys said Grayson is still a convicted murderer.

The maximum sentence for Second Degree Murder is 20 years in prison, versus life for First Degree Murder.

Unlike the trial, which was held in Peoria due to pre-trial publicity, the sentencing will be in Springfield.  Rally-goers are scheduled to congregate at 8 a.m.  Also, Massey’s attorneys plan to make a statement after the sentencing outside the complex, but plan a longer conference an hour later.

National and regional media, and a courtroom sketch artist, are all expected to cover the sentencing Thursday, as are WTAX and CapitolCityNow.

WTAX’s Dave Dahl will be in court for the sentencing.  We’ll interrupt regularly-scheduled programming as soon as the verdict is reached on Newstalk 93.9 & AM 1240 WTAX.  We’ll also have complete coverage at CapitolCityNow.com.