Sonya Massey murder: Black woman dies of gunshot wound to head, autopsy confirms; attorney calls shooting ‘senseless’

An autopsy released Friday confirmed that Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman fatally shot by a former sheriff’s deputy, died of a gunshot wound to the head. The full report, made public by Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon, supports previous findings that her death was a homicide.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represented Massey’s family, criticized the shooting as “senseless, unnecessary and outrageous.” Crump highlighted the physical disparity between Massey and now-fired sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson during a news conference. The autopsy revealed that Massey, who was 5 feet 3 inches tall and 115 pounds, was shot just below her left eye, with the bullet exiting her lower neck on a downward trajectory.

Grayson, who is white, 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 225 pounds, has pleaded not guilty to charges including first-degree murder and official misconduct. He was fired from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office last week and is currently being held without bail.

Crump used an enlarged autopsy diagram to emphasize the physical mismatch between Grayson and Massey, arguing that her position at the time of the shooting — hunched over and apologetic — demonstrates the excessive nature of the force used. “As Sonya Massey was staring down the barrel of his gun, she hunched over and said, ‘Sorry, sir, sorry,’ and the bullet was fired while she was in this hunched position,” Crump said.

Authorities said Massey had called 911 to report a suspected intruder. Two officers went to her home in Springfield, about 200 miles southwest of Chicago. Video footage confirmed that Grayson, pointing his 9mm pistol at Massey, threatened to shoot her in the face if she didn’t put down a pot of hot water. He fired three shots.

After the shooting, Grayson allegedly dismissed the need for medical attention, saying, “She did it. You can go get it, but that’s a shot to the head. There’s nothing you can do, man.” Despite his initial refusal, the second officer attempted to render aid until emergency medical services arrived.

Massey had a history of mental illness, and her family reported that she had recently entered and briefly left a 30-day inpatient program in St. Louis. Her son, 17-year-old Malachi Hill Massey, said that police had been called to their home the day before the shooting. Malachi reported that his mother had sought medical attention but had returned home without explanation.