Sonya Massey’s teenage son was described by his mother as “loving”, “very smart” and someone who “always helped everyone but himself” in a heartbreaking new interview.
Massey, 36, a mother of two from Springfield, Illinois, was shot to death in her kitchen by white sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson, 36, after she called police on July 6 to investigate a burglary near her home.
Her family is now trying to draw attention to the shooting after bodycam footage revealed the shocking circumstances of her death. Leaked audio also shows an officer telling a dispatcher that Massey’s injuries were “self-inflicted.”
The Massey family is being represented by civil rights attorney Ben Crump. They allege a cover-up in which officers told hospital staff that Massey had shot herself, and later that she had been shot by an intruder.
Speak with CBS News, Malachi Hill-Massey, 17, spoke lovingly about his mother.
Malaci Hill-Massey, 17, and Sonya Massey’s mother, Donna, sat down for an interview with CBS News in which they described the trauma they’ve experienced in the aftermath of the shooting
“A good mother. She was very smart and always helped everyone but herself. Just a ball of love, honestly, for me,” Malachi fondly said of his mother, pictured above
“A good mother. She was very smart and always helped everyone but herself. Just a ball of love, honestly, for me. She cooked the best food for me. I love her food, honestly,” he said.
“She’s just the most loving person ever. I don’t know. That’s the person that made me feel so loved.”
During a press conference the family held Tuesday to air their grievances over the shooting, Malachi told reporters he was unable to view the gruesome bodycam footage.
“I have no words for this,” he told the crowd.
In the CBS In an interview, Massey’s mother, Donna, reiterated the need for an investigation into the cover-up, stressing that the official story has changed.
“They said it was being investigated, then they said they told the doctors at the hospital she committed suicide, and then they changed it,” she said.
“They kept changing the story.”
At Massey’s funeral on July 19, her father, James Wilburn, told relatives that the family only learned through the media that the shooting was an officer-involved shooting.
During a press conference, Malachi told the audience that he couldn’t bring himself to watch the bodycam footage that showed his mother’s death
Donna told CBS that the first story she got from the hospital was that her daughter had been shot by someone, without saying who.
“We’re definitely going to get justice. I know it. We’re sure,” she added.
What led to the shooting of Sonya Massey
Sean Grayson and another Sangamon County deputy were called to Sonya Massey’s home after she called 911 at 12:50 a.m. on July 6, fearing an intruder.
The two officers searched the outside of the house for 30 minutes and found only a car with smashed windows.
During her conversations with the officers, Massey repeatedly mentioned Jesus Christ and the Bible.
Massey, on Grayson’s instructions, had placed a pan of possibly hot water on the counter.
The victim made a comment about “rebuking” Grayson in the name of Jesus Christ.
Grayson was in the living room when he pulled out his gun and threatened to shoot Massey in the face, at which point she threw her hands up in the air and said, “I’m sorry.”
Massey takes cover behind a counter that separates the two.
Grayson approached, yelled at Massey to put down the pan and opened fire, hitting her three times, once in the head.
Grayson did not provide assistance and advised the other deputy not to provide assistance either.
The second deputy, who was not named, remained with Massey until doctors arrived. She was pronounced dead at St. John’s Hospital.
Donna has already met with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and is scheduled to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris. President Joe Biden released a statement saying he was left “heartbroken” by the shooting.
Ben Crump said Tuesday at a press conference in Springfield that the Justice Department has opened an investigation into the incident. “That’s welcome because the family has raised concerns and made revelations that we believe warrant further investigation.”
He said he did not know the extent of the investigation.
But in a statement, the Justice Department said it was “aware of and reviewing the circumstances surrounding the officer’s tragic death” and would “continue to monitor the criminal case.”
James Wilburn, Massey’s father, called for the resignation of Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell.
“I want to tell you that the sheriff here is a disgrace,” Wilburn said. “This man (Grayson) should never have had a badge. And he should never have had a gun. He should never have had the opportunity to kill my child.”
According to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, Grayson was hired part-time by the Pawnee Police Department on August 11, 2020.
On February 4, 2021, he was also hired part-time by the Kincaid Police Department and on May 20, 2021, by the Virden Police Department.
Two months later, he was hired full-time by the Auburn Police Department and remained there until May 1, 2022, when he was hired full-time by the Logan County Sheriff’s Office.
Grayson left Logan County on April 28, 2023 and was hired full-time by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office on May 1, 2023.
He received his part-time Law Enforcement Certification on June 5, 2021, according to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. His certification status is currently listed as suspended on the board’s website.
