Springfield, Illinois. After an appeal court decision paved the way for his pre-trial parole, the former Illinois sheriff’s deputy accused of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Sonya Massey may soon be released.
A circuit court judge stated during a hearing on Monday that he will decide on the conditions for Sean Grayson’s release on Friday. Grayson’s pre-trial release had already been denied by the judge, Ryan Cadagin. However, in a unanimous vote on Wednesday, an appeal court reversed that verdict. John Milhiser, the state attorney for Sangamon County, stated that his office intends to challenge that decision.
Cadagin promised to follow the court’s directive and figure out the least restrictive terms for Grayson’s release.
Grayson made an appearance from jail via video conference, accompanied by one of his lawyers. When asked if he had given up his right to attend the hearing in person on Friday, he simply replied, “Yes, your honor.”
On July 6, Massey was shot and killed by Grayson in her Springfield home. Massey, who had experienced mental health problems, had reported a possible prowler to 911. Grayson saw a pot of hot water on her stove when he was talking to her in her living area, according to body camera footage. Massey stood up to take it out and said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” twice while she was touching the pot a few feet away from Grayson and his accomplice. Grayson yelled at her to stop talking and told her that she had better [expletive] not. According to the footage, he fired three rounds as she dived, one of which hit Massey under her left eye.
Additionally, the footage revealed that Grayson had instructed his partner not to assist Massey because, according to him, she had been shot in the head.
At first, Cadagin had refused to let Grayson go, claiming that his behavior went against the fundamental norms of civil society. Grayson’s plea to be released to meet his medical needs, including treatment for colon cancer, was denied by Cadagin during a hearing in August. Cadagin said that electronic monitoring would not adequately safeguard the community from Grayson. Mark Wykoff, one of Grayson’s lawyers, had contended that since Grayson was no longer employed in his official position following his dismissal from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, the threat had been lessened.
The 4th District Appellate Court ruled unanimously on Wednesday that Cadagin’s denial of Grayson’s pre-trial release was wrong.
According to the appellate court’s decision, the trial court’s emphasis on the defendant’s shortcomings as a law enforcement officer, while reasonable, diverted attention from the main issue of how to handle whatever risk he posed after losing his job.
As another instance of a Black person being shot dead by police in their house, Massey’s murder garnered national attention. Grayson is Caucasian.
Following public criticism and Governor JB Pritzker’s declaration that he had failed at his job and need to resign, Sheriff Jack Campbell resigned in August. According to multiple personnel documents, Campbell knew that Grayson had twice entered guilty pleas to driving under the influence of alcohol, one of which resulted in his early dismissal from the Army in February 2016. According to the documents NBC News was able to get, Grayson had transferred between six law enforcement agencies in central Illinois over the course of four years, raising concerns at several of them about his violence and integrity problems.
Sangamon County officials were recently informed by the Justice Department that an inquiry into Massey’s murder had been launched.
On Monday, around a dozen demonstrators demonstrated outside the courthouse, shouting, “Sonya’s life matters!” Justice for Sonya was written on cardboard signs that some of them carried.
Massey’s father, James Wilburn, attended the hearing on Monday and subsequently criticized the appellate court’s decision.
In my opinion, this decision by the appellate court was a grave injustice, he stated. And we will do all it takes to secure justice for my daughter. Whatever it takes.
He objected to the judge’s decision to give Grayson the least stringent release conditions.
“He can leave jail when my daughter is able to get up and leave that cemetery,” Wilburn stated.
Reporting from Springfield, Illinois, was Maggie Vespa. From New Jersey, Janelle Griffith reported.
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