Autopsy confirms Sonya Massey died of gunshot wound to the head

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CN) — The Sangamon County Coroner's Office confirmed Friday that Springfield, Illinois, resident Sonya Massey was killed by a gunshot wound to the head.

Former Sangamon County Sheriff's Deputy Sean Grayson fatally shot the Black, 36-year-old mother of two in her home on July 6. Deputies were responding to Massey's 911 call for a possible home intruder at the time. Grayson shot Massey over a pot of hot water she was holding on the opposite side of her kitchen from him, after she said to him "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus." Police body camera footage released Monday showed she ducked behind a counter before Grayson opened fire.

The autopsy released Friday concluded Grayson shot Massey at a downward angle, with the bullet hitting her below her left eye and exiting at her neck. It indicated Massey was still ducked near the ground when Grayson shot her.

"I mean, how can you justify this?," attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Massey's family, said in a press conference on Friday. "She's all of 5 foot 1, 110 pounds. He's approximately 6 foot, 5 inches tall, approximately 260 pounds. Completely excessive."

Massey's shooting sparked national outrage both at its occurrence and when Illinois state police released body camera footage of the killing. Grayson has been indicted on five felony charges including first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct. He has pleaded not guilty on all counts.

The Sangamon County Sheriff's Office fired Grayson last week as well, though on Friday local Springfield journalists reported that the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police had filed a wrongful termination grievance on Grayson's behalf. The grievance called for Grayson to be reinstated and reimbursed for all lost wages, and to have his benefits restored.

"The grievant was terminated without just cause," the FOP said in the filing.

The FOP accused the sheriff's office of also violating its collective bargaining agreement with the union by posting an announcement of Grayson's investigation and termination on Facebook before giving Grayson himself the news that he was fired.

The FOP did not respond to a request for comment as to whether they would still pursue the wrongful termination grievance in light of the coroner's findings.

Local law enforcement have faced other criticisms for their handling of the issue. The sheriff's office's first press release about the shooting on July 6 does not mention it was a deputy who shot Massey, and elides that police had done any shooting at all.

"Upon arrival [at Massey's home], two deputies conducted a search of the area. At approximately 1:21 a.m., the deputies reported that shots had been fired, resulting in a female being struck by gunfire," the sheriff's office wrote.

The statement also falsely claimed deputies "immediately" administered aid to Massey after she was shot, when in fact Grayson can be heard on the body cam footage discouraging the other officer in the room from retrieving a medical kit.

"She's done," Grayson told the other officer. "You can go get it, but that's a head shot."

That officer only began applying pressure to Massey's wound a full two minutes after she had been shot, despite not leaving the home and standing only feet away from her.

On Monday, Massey's father James Wilburn further said he was never told his daughter was killed by police. He had to learn that information from his brother, who reportedly got the news from the internet.

Massey's 17-year-old son Malachi Hill Massey said Friday that he has lost sleep as he grieves his mother.

"I haven't been able to sleep, for real," he said. "The only time I really feel comfortable sleeping is when like, I'm just on the floor. I can't even sleep in my bed ... I really don't have words." 

Malachi also wondered aloud if, had he been there at the time, Grayson would have harmed him too.

"What happened in that video was not right, it was senseless, and it was unjustifiable," Crump told press Friday. "So we want to know everything that led up to her being shot in the face when she said, 'I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.'"

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