Sonya Massey autopsy report confirms death from gunshot to head

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — An autopsy report released Friday in the shooting death of Sonya Massey, the Illinois woman shot by a deputy after she called for help, confirms she died of a bullet to the head.

The autopsy released by Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon indicates the bullet hit Massey beneath her left eye and exited on the posterior left side of her upper neck. The shot also resulted in a perforation to her left internal carotid artery, a skull fracture and hemorrhages.

Additionally, the report states that the 36-year-old Massey had “minor blunt force injuries” to her right leg and she weighed 112 pounds.

“Why this is so significant is that it confirms that deputy Sean Grayson shot in a downward trajectory,” civil rights attorney Ben Crump said at a news conference following the release of the report. “This autopsy findings coupled with the video, where we see her ducking, (and) says, ‘Sorry, sir, sorry,’ he shot when she’s making the motion coming up, that’s how you get the downward trajectory. And you see on the video, his arms, he aims down.”

Massey was killed in the early morning hours of July 6 after she’d called 911 to report a suspected prowler. In a sudden escalation captured on the law enforcement officers’ body cameras , Grayson shot Massey three times, with one fatal blow to the head, as she worked with a boiling pot of water.

“This was just a senseless, unnecessary, excessive use of force,” Crump said. “I mean, how can you justify this?”

Loved ones said Massey was living with mental health issues in the days before she was killed and had recently checked into a St. Louis facility but was released. Her children were living with their fathers while she sought help.

“She needed a helping hand, not a bullet to the face,” Crump said. “She just needed those officers to extend an ounce of humanity, not to kill her.”

Grayson, 30, has been terminated from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office. An Illinois grand jury indicted him last week. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct. State records show he worked for six different law enforcement agencies since August 2020.

In a statement, a Department of Justice spokesman said the agency was “aware of and assessing the circumstances” surrounding Massey’s death and would “continue to track the criminal case opened by the Sangamon County State’s Attorney.”

A GoFundMe account established Thursday that originally sought $100,000 to help the family with counseling, travel, legal and household expenses had reached its goal by midday Friday. The goal on the account was increased to $200,000.

A Change.org petition launched Sunday that demands Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell’s resignation and an investigation into the department’s hiring practices collected nearly 30,000 signatures by Friday afternoon. Campbell earlier this week told WGN he had no intention of resigning.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation.