Sonya Massey's father decries possible release of former deputy charged with her death

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. − James Wilburn, the father of Sonya Massey, who was fatally shot in her home this summer, said little made sense to him about a court ruling paving the way for the pre-trial release of Sean P. Grayson, the former Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy charged with his daughter's death.

Then again, Wilburn said during an interview this month, that little has made sense since July 6.

Massey called 911 on that day to report a possible intruder to her home in an unincorporated neighborhood of Springfield, Illinois. After Grayson and another officer questioned Massey, Grayson shot her three times, fatally wounding her in the head.

Grayson was fired and charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct. He has pleaded not guilty.

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"It was unbelievable," Wilburn said of the Nov. 27 appellate court opinion that ordered the circuit court to schedule a hearing to determine determine "the least restrictive conditions of defendant’s pretrial release," now set for Jan. 2, 2025.

"This makes absolutely no sense. It's like my daughter (has been) shot all over again," Wilburn told press at the Illinois State Capitol on Dec. 5.

Wilburn, with his white hair and goatee, expressive eyes and ever-present walking staff − a reminder of a 2020 quadruple heart bypass surgery − is no shrinking violet.

A retired U.S. Border Patrol agent who lives in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Wilburn has shared the stage in Springfield with nationally known civil rights attorney Ben Crump. He called for the resignation of then-Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell weeks before Campbell stepped down for retirement.

Wilburn has challenged federal legislators to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

More recently, pointed words have been directed at the three appellate court justices: Eugene Doherty, who wrote the opinion, and James A. Knecht and Craig H. DeArmond, who concurred.

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Wilburn called the opinion "a bastardization" of the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act.

"The SAFE-T Act was not meant to let killers and murderers free," said Wilburn, in a one-on-one interview with The State Journal-Register, part of the USA TODAY Network. "It was (for) low-level people who could not afford to make a bond, so they didn't languish in jail until they were able to have their day in court. It shouldn't have included killers.

"It shouldn't have included the killer of my daughter," he said.

'They're hurting because I'm hurting'

Wilburn said many of his best friends are law enforcement officers, as are some family members.

Wilburn doesn't hold the profession against Grayson, who he calls "an aberration." In past visits to Springfield, Wilburn has been critical about Grayson's hiring.

"(Grayson) should've never had a badge, he should've never had a gun," Wilburn said at a July 22 press conference. "He should've never been given the opportunity to kill my child because he had some serious blips on his record."

That's a reference to Grayson's criminal history with two DUIs before he became a police officer and a separation from the U.S. Army that listed "misconduct (serious offense)" as the reason.

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Wilburn said some county deputies have told him they are sorry for what he has gone through.

"Most members of law enforcement are good people," he said. "They had nothing to do with the hiring of Sean Grayson. They're ashamed that he ever wore their uniform.

"Friends of mine who are hardened retired police officers. I've never saw these men cry before, but they're hurting because I'm hurting."

'We're all family'

Wilburn said he tries to keep busy in his retirement years.

He taught ninth graders last school year, but decided not to return to the classroom.

Wilburn also serves on the Jefferson County Library Commission and he's an exalted ruler at his Elks Lodge.

"When I'm alone with my thoughts, that's when it's hard," Wilburn admitted. "When I get a call from one of Sonya's sisters and they say, 'Daddy, I'm having a hard time,' I'm trying to be strong for them, but this still hurts. It still hurts.

"We're all family. When one has a heartache, we all have a heartache, we all shed a tear. We rejoice in the victories our family has."

Wilburn said he remains rooted in his Christian faith. Because of that faith, he believes after his daughter died that she was "immediately welcomed into the arms of Jesus. One day, I'm going to see her again, I'm going to be able to hug her again. I'm going to be able to talk to her again. That's my belief and nothing's going to change that."

"I think in the end we win because I'm a follower of Jesus Christ. 'That that was meant for evil will be turned for good.' I have to believe that. That's the anchor. That's the way I was raised, and I continue to believe that."

Changes to the SAFE-T Act

In addition to the policing act and the voting rights act, Wilburn said he is committed to helping make changes to the state's SAFE-T Act, which was passed in 2021.

Wilburn said he would "absolutely" support murder being the threshold for not letting someone free from detention.

"(Grayson) had been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and two other felonies," Wilburn pointed out. "Where does this happen (that people charged with murder are let out pending trial)?

"(Working on those SAFE-T Act changes) gives me something to continue to live for. If it takes the last breath of my body, I'm going to see to it that these changes take place.

"I can stand up against injustice. I've done that all my life. I can't do anything else."

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; [email protected]; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

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