The murder trial for former Sangamon county deputy Sean Grayson continued Thursday from the Peoria county courthouse. Crime scene evidence and photos were introduced during day four of the trial.
WICS provided live updates to witness and expert testimonials. ISP Trooper Adam Markwell was called to the witness stand to be questioned by Assistant State’s Attorney Mary Beth Rogers. Markwell was the one who processed and collected evidence from Dep. Dawson Farley and Sean Grayson, the day Sonya Massey was shot and killed. Crime scene photos included the pot Sonya Massey was holding resting on the kitchen floor and two bullet casings. A third casing was later found in a trash can at the scene.
Those casings along with Grayson’s firearm and the medical bag from the scene were in the evidence cart in the courtroom. Markwell examined and confirmed those items to be the same from the crime scene. Markwell also explained how the crime scene was processed.
Dr. Nathaniel Patterson, Forensic Pathologist with the Sangamon County Coroner’s office, was called to the stand. Dr. Patterson conducted the autopsy of Sonya Massey. While Grayson fired three times, the autopsy showed Massey died from a single gunshot wound. Dr. Patterson shared that Massey died from a gunshot wound to the head and added that the wound could have been survivable if medical treatment had been provided soon and bleeding had been controlled.
The jury also heard testimony from Anthony Rigano, a retired Sergeant with the Elgin Police Department who also served as a crisis intervention instructor and on the Illinois Training and Standards Board. Grayson took Rigano’s CIT course in March of 2023, and he was trained on things that included mental illness and using a conflict resolution model. Following Rigano’s testimony the jury then heard from retired LaGrange, Georgia, Chief of Police Lou Dekmar who has almost 50 years of law enforcement experience.
In reviewing Grayson’s report and footage from both body cameras, Dekmar did determine that Sonya Massey was affected by mental illness. Dekmar said “It should’ve been clear to the deputies that they were dealing with someone going through a mental or emotional crisis.” Dekmar added that Grayson did not apply what he learned in CIT training when talking to Massey.
The trial continues Friday October 25th with more witness testimonies, and is expected to last up to two weeks.