Illinois woman Sonya Massey's haunting final words to cop before being shot dead in her own home

Sonay Massey was tragically killed by Illinois police in her own home just moments after declaring: "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus."

The officer responsible for the shooting, Sean Grayson, is now facing charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct, and Massey's last words could play a crucial role in his defence during the trial .

Sonya had apologized and crouched down before Deputy Grayson discharged his weapon three times, causing the wounds that led to her death, as shown in the body-cam footage made public on Monday .

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The officers had requested her to move a pot of boiling water from the cooker, and upon complying, she uttered: "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus."

This expression is widely recognized within Christian circles as a denouncement of Satan and perceived evil influences, although it lacks direct endorsement from scripture, according to Verse by Verse Ministry. At a press briefing on Monday afternoon, the family's lawyer, renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump, dismissed Grayson's "revisionist" rationalization as "disingenuous."

In response to queries about why Massey confronted Grayson with the words "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus," Crump clarified that she had been undergoing treatment for mental health issues. He highlighted that her plea to God was immediate upon the deputies' arrival and that she had asked for her Bible soon after they entered.

The video confirmed the prosecutor's account of the tense situation where Grayson yelled across the kitchen counter at Sonya to put down a pot of boiling water before threatening and ultimately shooting her. Authorities said that Sonya had called 911 before the incident due to a suspected intruder.

Deputies arrived at her Springfield residence just before 1 am on July 6, located about 200 miles southwest of Chicago . They found a black SUV with broken windows in her driveway.

It reportedly took Massey three minutes to answer the door after deputies knocked, and when she did, she said, "Don't hurt me."

Clearly confused during the encounter, she repeatedly told them she needed help, mentioned God, and claimed not to know who owned the vehicle.

Inside, as deputies grew impatient with her sitting on the couch, rummaging through her purse while they asked for ID to complete a report, Grayson noticed a pot on an active stove burner.

"We don't need a fire while we're here," he remarked. Sonya then got up and moved the pot next to the sink.

There was a brief moment of laughter between Massey and Grayson about her pan of "steaming hot water" before she abruptly stated: "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus."

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Tensions escalated quickly and Grayson was heard on the recording saying: "You better (expletive) not or I swear to God I'll (expletive) shoot you in your (expletive) face."

Following this, Grayson pulled out his 9mm handgun and demanded she release the pot. She replied, "OK, I'm sorry."

The body camera footage showed Grayson aiming his gun at her, prompting her to lift her hands in a defensive gesture.

Positioned in the living room, with a counter separating him from Sonya in the kitchen area, Grayson had both "distance and relative cover" from Sonya and the boiling water, prosecutors pointed out. After shooting Sonya, Grayson discouraged his partner from getting a medical kit for her.

"You can go get it, but that's a headshot," he remarked. "There's nothing you can do, man." He also said: "What else do we do? I'm not taking hot (expletive) boiling water to the (expletive) face".

When he noticed Massey still breathing, he relented and decided to get his own medical kit. His colleague suggested, "We can at least try to stop the bleeding."

Upon the arrival of backup officers, Grayson reported, "She had boiling water and came at me, with boiling water. She said she was going to rebuke me in the name of Jesus and came at me with boiling water."

Grayson, who was fired last week, is now being held at Sangamon County Jail without the possibility of bond.

If convicted, he could face prison sentences ranging from 45 years to life for murder, 6 to 30 years for battery, and 2 to 5 years for misconduct.

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