Former Sangamon County deputy sheriff charged with murder in court

A former Sangamon County sheriff's deputy charged with murder will make his traditional first court appearance at 9 a.m. Monday.

Sean P. Grayson, 30, shot and killed Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old black woman and mother of two, in her home in the 2800 block of Hoover Avenue in an unincorporated part of Woodside Township.

Grayson was also charged with aggravated assault with a firearm and abuse of authority. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The bodycam footage released a month ago sparked an international outcry and led to protests in major US cities and in Springfield.

It also led to the retirement of embattled Sheriff Jack Campbell and the formation of the Massey Committee

What awaits you:

What is a pre-trial interview?

A pre-trial conference call, also called a status hearing or pre-trial conference, is a meeting with the judge, attorneys, and the defendant to discuss the progress of the case.

This is Grayson's first “traditional” court appearance. He was present at the July 18 arraignment and appeared via Zoom for his detention hearing.

Attorneys and District Court Presiding Judge Ryan Cadagin are expected to discuss the status of any motions, evidence or experts and set the next pretrial hearing date.

Who will be present?

In addition to Cadagin, it will most likely be First Assistant State's Attorney Mary Beth Rodgers for the state. Grayson's attorneys are Daniel Fultz and Mark Wykoff, both of Springfield.

At Grayson's arraignment, there were at least a dozen uniformed officers in the courtroom and several more officers in the hallway.