* The Tribune…

In a crowded but airy courtroom 75 miles from where a downstate sheriff’s deputy shot and killed Sonya Massey near Springfield in a case that stirred national outrage, a prosecutor said Wednesday the deputy shot Massey after he got mad at her as she held a pot of boiling water, while the deputy’s attorney told a jury the fatal shooting was in self-defense.

A 12-person jury listened intently to opening arguments from Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser and attorney Daniel Fultz, who is one of the lawyers representing now-former Sangamon County Deputy Sheriff Sean Grayson in the first-degree murder trial. The jury is composed of nine women and three men. Only one of the jurors, who is a male, is Black.

“At the end of the day, this defendant went into the home of Sonya Massey when she called for help,” Milhiser told the jury, “and without lawful justification (he) shot and killed (her).”

The national interest in the case was sparked by graphic police body camera footage from the incident that occurred July 6, 2024, in Massey’s home just outside the Springfield city limits. It shows Grayson, who is white, shoot and kill Massey, who is Black, after he repeatedly shouted at her to drop a pot of boiling water. Outside the Peoria County Courthouse, a few dozen protesters chanted and held signs such as “Justice for Sonya Massey” while some passing motorists appeared to honk their horns in support.

Grayson, if convicted of murder, faces 45 years to life in prison. He has pleaded not guilty.

* Yesterday, jurors were shown the body camera video. WBEZ’s Mawa Iqbal…

The footage shows Grayson shooting Massey, after he yells at her to "drop the f** pot." It also shows Massey bleeding out on her kitchen floor.

Donna and Sontae, Massey's mom and cousin, have left the courtroom in tears.

Grayson's head is bowed, and he's fidgeting in his chair

— Mawa Iqbal (she/her) (@mawa_iqbal) October 22, 2025

Grayson can be heard on the tape saying, "this f* b* is crazy."

A few jurors made note of that their notepads.

— Mawa Iqbal (she/her) (@mawa_iqbal) October 22, 2025

* AP…

Earlier, Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser told the jury that the video would show Massey posed no threat when Grayson and fellow Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Dawson Farley entered her home. Massey, who had mental health problems, had called 911 about a suspected prowler.

“She’s a little scattered, but she’s nice and kind and talking to him and you’ll see that interaction,” Milhiser said during opening statements. “You will see what happens when the defendant gets mad at a woman who is in her kitchen and has called for help. He gets mad and shoots and kills her without lawful justification.” […]

Grayson’s attorney, Daniel Fultz, told the jury that when Massey approached with the pot of water, Grayson repeatedly demanded she put it down before “making a decision no police officer wants to make.”

“Ms. Massey lifted the pot of water above her head and the evidence will show that the use of force was reasonable under the circumstances without the benefit of 20/20 hindsight,” Fultz said. “What happened to Ms. Massey was a tragedy, but it was not a crime.”

* SJ-R…

Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy Dawson Farley took the stand right after lunch Wednesday. […]

When Massey said to Grayson that “I rebuke in the name of Jesus” twice, Farley admitted he was confused “not threatened.” Farley said he didn’t “see or hear anything” that would have made Grayson draw his service weapon.

Farley testified that he was “caught off guard” by Grayson firing his firearm and that it didn’t follow training.

Farley admitted he tried to collect himself then rendered aid to Massey by applying pressure to try to stop the bleeding. […]

Massey never said or did anything “that made me think she was a threat.”

* NBC Chicago…

During cross-examination, Fultz noted that Farley initially wrote in his report that he was “in fear of great bodily harm from the steaming water.”

Farley testified he went back to the Illinois State Police to revise his report almost a month after the incident to clarify a few points.

Fultz noted that the revision came after Grayson was indicted, adding, “Clarifying is different than changing your story.”

* The trial continues today. From the Independent…

Dr. Nathaniel Patterson, a forensic pathologist with the Sangamon County Coroner’s office, testified Thursday that Massey could have survived the gunshot wound if medical treatment had been provided soon afterward and the bleeding had been controlled, according to WICS. He also testified that it’s true some people still die after receiving medical treatment for a cut internal carotid artery.

[Grayon’s partner, Dawson Farley] testified on Wednesday that Grayson told him first aid wasn’t necessary because Massey had been shot in the head, according to WAND News. Farley said he rendered first aid and later heard a sergeant, who arrived after the shooting, say nothing could be done. Farley testified Massey was still breathing as this happened.

* More from Capitol City Now…

Next witness is Dr. Nathaniel Patterson, forensic pathologist for Sangamon County Coroner. […]

Recapping injuries: Skull fracture that was not life threatening, hemorrhaging not to do with death either. Damage to carotid artery was “significant,” “that’s the vital structure.” “She died from a gunshot wound to the head. How did she died? Internal carotid artery damaged, but ultimately, she bled to death. If the bleeding could have been controlled, she might have survived. If medical treatment was provided right away, followed by surgery, survival might have been possible. You’ll recall Grayson intially told his partner, against department policy, that he didn’t need to get his medical kit. Applying pressure on the wound didn’t happen until later.

There are a ring of arteries around the brain. Two carotid arteries feed the brain. One of the arteries can provide enough blood flow to the brain. If medical treatment had happened sooner, Sonya could have lived, confirmed by Patterson.