Sean Grayson murdered Sonya Massey, according to the state of Illinois, and they have presented a case before twelve jurors to decide whether or not they are right. Final arguments were heard this week, and APNews is reporting that the nine men and three women, only one of whom is Black, have begun their deliberation process.
“She makes it abundantly clear, ‘I want no part of this. Let this be done,’” Sangamon County First Assistant State’s Attorney Mary Beth Rodgers said in her closing argument. “She doesn’t say, ‘Let’s go, Sean.’ She says, ‘I’m sorry.’ He has no right to go into her kitchen, where she’s hiding from an angry man with a gun, he has no right to follow her and shoot her.”
Grayson’s attorney Daniel Fultz tried to convince the jury that Massey posed a threat to his client despite the fact that we saw the video showing the opposite…
“He drew his weapon to gain compliance, to make her realize that whatever she was considering doing, she shouldn’t do,” Fultz said. “It is true that she put the pot down. If it ended there, we wouldn’t be here today, but for reasons we’ll never know, she reacquired the pot, stood up and threw it in his direction. Only at that time did he fire his weapon.”
The first day of the 12-person first-degree case review lasted 6 1/2 hours before Judge Ryan Cadagin ruled them dismissed.
It isn’t often that an accused murderer takes the stand to testify on their own behalf. Even if they want to, most defense attorneys would advise against it because it can greatly sway how a jury sees an accused person. The smallest misstep or lie can sink a defense entirely. In here, in a case that could very well cost him his life, Grayson took the stand.
Grayson testified in his own defense, saying he considered using a Taser to subdue Massey but was afraid it wouldn’t work given the distance and the counter separating them. He said he determined that Massey was a threat and drew his 9 mm pistol only after she uttered her “rebuke” twice
Last time we checked, “rebuke” wasn’t a threat of death or great bodily harm. Throw the book at him.
