A coroner has officially ruled that the death of Sonya Massey, the Illinois mom of two who was shot in her own home by a sheriff’s deputy, was a homicide.
Massey, 36, died on July 6 from a gunshot wound to the head, just below her left eye, Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon said in the full results released on Friday.
Massey also had “minor blunt force injuries” to her right leg, the report stated.
Massey, who was black, called 911 to report a suspected prowler near her home in Springfield, about 200 miles southwest of Chicago.
Body camera footage released earlier this week showed the horrifying moments when Massey stood face-to-face with Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson — a white man — who yelled at her to put down a pot of hot water and threatened to shoot her.
“You’d better f–king not. I swear to God, I’ll f–king shoot you right in your f–king face,”
Massey apologized, then ducked briefly, and Grayson fired his pistol in her direction.
Massey was hit three times, including the fatal shot to her head.
Grayson, 30, was fired from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office last week after he pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges stemming from the incident.
His checkered career in law enforcement included short stints at various Illinois police departments, records revealed.
At the time of Massey’s death, Grayson had been with Sangamon County for 14 months.
Massey’s family is represented by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who called for a complete investigation into the shooting.
Law enforcement initially tried to say Massey’s death was self-inflicted. Massey’s heartbroken father, James Wilburn, has demanded that Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell step down.
“I haven’t been able to sleep for real. The only time I really feel comfortable sleeping is when I’m just on the floor. I can’t even sleep in my bed,” Massey’s oldest child, 17-year-old Malachi Hill-Massey, told CBS News.
“I really don’t have words. Like I’ve been told, I don’t have words for real,” he lamented.
Massey’s daughter has been having nightmares, the slain mom’s uncle added.
With Post wires
