Hunting 4 Answers Update: Sonya Massey

In this episode of Hunting 4 Answers: In July 2024, 36-year-old Sonya Massey called 911 from her Springfield, Illinois home, frightened and seeking help. Minutes later, the deputy sent to protect her opened fire, killing her in her own kitchen. The body camera footage that followed sparked heartbreak, outrage, and a national call for change. As her family awaits sentencing in January 2026, they continue to fight for justice, accountability, and the woman they love. 

This is the story of Sonya Massey.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hunting for Answers is a production of the Black Effect
Podcast Network and iHeartRadio. Welcome to Hunting for Answers, a
true crime podcast. I'm your host Hunter, and today we're
returning with an update to a case we previously discussed,
one that shook the nation, raised questions about police accountability,

(00:24):
and prompted real change in Illinois law. In July twenty
twenty four, a thirty six year old woman called nine
to one one from her home in Springfield, Illinois, fearing
someone was outside. That call would result in a tragedy.
No one could have imagined a woman's life taken in

(00:47):
her own kitchen by an officer sent to protect her.
This is the story of Sonia Massey. Sonia Massey was
thirty six years old and a mother of two teenagers,
a son and a daughter. Her family remembers her as

(01:11):
a woman of faith, loving, spiritually grounded, and deeply caring.
In the days before her passing, her mother called nine
one one and reported Sonya was experiencing a mental health crisis.
In the early morning hours of July six, twenty twenty four,

(01:32):
Sonya called nine one one from her home in Springfield,
seeking help and protection At twelve fifty am, Sonya dialed
police from her home. She told the dispatcher she believed
someone was outside. Within minutes, two deputies arrived, John Grayson

(01:56):
and Dawson Farley. They searched the area and found nothing suspicious.
Then they walked to Sonia's front door. Bodycam footage captured
her first words, don't hurt me. The bodycam video showed
Sonia visibly frightened, her voice trembling as she said don't

(02:21):
hurt me. In response to her nine one one call.
Two deputies entered her home. She sat on her couch,
searching through her purse for identification. Then Grayson noticed a
pot of hot steaming water on the stove. We don't
need a fire while we're here, he said. Sonya moved

(02:44):
the pot to the counter, trying to comply. She asked
why he had backed away away from your hot steaming water,
he replied. Then she said, I rebuke you in the
name of Jesus, and at that moment, Grayson drew his weapon.

(03:05):
Sonya apologized, She set the pot down and moved behind
the kitchen counter for cover. Moments later, three shots rang out,
one striking her in the head. On the bodycam video,
Grayson can be heard saying that's a headshot. She's done.

(03:27):
His partner, Deputy Farley, retrieved a towel and pressed it
to her head wound while calling for help. Paramedics arrived
moments later, but despite efforts to save her, Sonia Massey
did not survive. Early radio and dispatch traffic reported her

(03:49):
wound as self inflicted. Hospital and dispatch records showed unusual confusion,
but as the bodycam footage was really east, it triggered
national coverage. Major outlets picked up the story, and a
wave of outrage spread online. Sonya's family, with attorney Ben

(04:12):
Crump at their side, demanded justice, transparency, and answers. Reports
had revealed a disturbing history. John Grayson had worked at
several law enforcement agencies in just a few years. He

(04:33):
had two prior dui convictions and was discharged from the
US Army for serious misconduct, yet he was still serving
as a deputy on the night he took Sonya Massey's life.
He was fired following the shooting and indicted on charges
of first degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and

(04:56):
official misconduct. In February every twenty twenty five, Sangamon County
approved a ten million dollar settlement with Sonya's family, the
largest in county history. It is our first step in
getting full justice for Sonia Massey. Attorney Ben Crump said
at the time. For her family, money could never replace Sonia.

(05:22):
They were seeking accountability and change. That change came months later.
On August twelfth, twenty twenty five, Governor J. B. Pritzker
signed the Sonya Massey Bill SB nineteen fifty three, legislation
that requires stricter background checks for police hires, in full

(05:46):
review and disclosure of officers disciplinary records. The law takes
effect January first, twenty twenty six. In response to Sonya's death,
many Illinois law enforcement agencies have began implementing expanded de
escalation training and exploring mental health co responder models. In

(06:12):
October twenty twenty five, the trial began in Poria County,
moved there due to intense publicity. The thirty six minute
bodycam video was played in court, graphic, disturbing and undeniable.

(06:32):
Deputy Dawson Farley testified for the prosecution, telling jurors that
Sonia Massey quote never said anything that alarmed me. He explained,
he only drew his weapon because Grayson did, saying he
was trying to have his partners back, but he admitted

(06:54):
he didn't see a reason to and when asked who
he was truly a fre of that night, Farley said
it wasn't Sonia. I was afraid of my partner, he
told the courtroom. Grayson took the stand in his own defense.
He testified that he believed Sonia Massey was about to

(07:18):
throw boiling water at him, and that her words and
actions felt like a threat. Prosecutors pushed back hard. They
argued she was apologizing taking cover behind her counter and
that Grayson acted out of anger, not fear. He got

(07:41):
mad and shot and killed her without lawful justification, prosecutor
John Milheiser told the jury. On October twenty ninth, twenty
twenty five, the jury reached its decision guilty of second
degree murder, not first degree under Illinois law. That means

(08:07):
four to twenty years and possible eligibility for probation. Sentencing
is scheduled for January twenty nine, twenty twenty six. Outside
the courthouse, Sonia Massey's family spoke through tears, angry, heartbroken,

(08:27):
and devastated that the conviction didn't go further. He told
my child he would shoot her in the face, and
then he did it, says James Wilburn, Sonya Massey's father,
and all we got was a second degree murder conviction
out of this. His words carried the weight of a

(08:50):
family still grieving and a community still fighting for justice.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends
of Sonia Massey as we wait for sentencing in January
twenty twenty six. The fight for accountability is far from over.

(09:12):
Advocates continue to demand transparency, training, and reform so that
what happened to Sonia Massey never happens again. As we
close out this episode, remember to share Sonia Massey's story
to spread awareness and continue the conversation surrounding police accountability,

(09:35):
mental health, and community safety. Don't forget to follow Hunting
for Answers to stay updated on Sonia's case and others
like it. Subscribe on YouTube and follow us on Instagram
and TikTok for more true crime stories and updates. And
if you're watching on YouTube, feel free to share your

(09:55):
thoughts on this case and the comments below. Thank you
so much much for joining us for another episode until
next Time. Hunting for Answers is a production of the

(10:20):
Black Effect Podcast Network. For more podcasts from the Black
Effect Podcast Network, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you listen to your favorite shows.