Deputy Accused of Killing Sonya Massey Was Discharged From Army for Serious Misconduct

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This story was originally published by Invisible Institute, IPM Newsroom, and the Investigative Reporting Workshop

Sean Grayson, the former Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy now charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, was previously discharged from the U.S. Army for serious misconduct, military records show.

Grayson, who is white, was indicted by a grand jury in the July 6 death of Massey, who is Black. Ben Crump, the family’s attorney, said the U.S. Department of Justice has also opened an investigation into the incident, but the agency said in a statement that it is “assessing the circumstances” and following the criminal case.

Documents obtained from the Kincaid Police Department in Illinois, where Grayson worked previously, note that Grayson was discharged from the Army in 2016 from the Fort Riley Army installation in Kansas for “Misconduct (Serious Offense).” Army officials confirmed Grayson was a wheeled vehicle mechanic from May 2014 to February 2016, but declined to provide further details about his discharge. 

“The Privacy Act and (Department of Defense) policy prevent us from releasing information relating to the misconduct of low-level employees or characterization of service at discharge,” Army spokesperson Bryce S. Dubee wrote in an email. Officials at Fort Riley and the Fort Riley Military Police directed reporters to file an official records request.

Anthony Ghiotto, a former Air Force prosecutor who now teaches law at the University of Illinois, said there are several reasons why a service member could receive this type of discharge in lieu of a court-martial proceeding or if the member commits a civilian infraction that can’t be disciplined through the military justice system. 

Ghiotto said this kind of discharge suggests that Grayson committed an offense equivalent to something that would have led to at least a year of incarceration for a civilian.

“A good way of looking at it is, if it would be a misdemeanor in the civilian world, it’s not going to be a ‘serious offense,’” he said. He added it’s likely Grayson was not court-martialed.

Daniel Fultz, Grayson’s defense attorney, declined to comment about the nature of his discharge from the Army. Fultz told Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge Ryan Cadagin on July 17 at Grayson’s arraignment that Grayson received an honorable discharge after serving three years in the Army.

However, the DD Form 214 summarizing Grayson’s tenure in the Army indicates he did not receive an honorable discharge.

Grayson also didn’t receive a dishonorable discharge, but Ghiotto said the DD Form 214 indicated Grayson was “kicked out” of the Army for serious misconduct before his regular term of enlistment was up.   

Grayson received a “general” discharge under “honorable conditions,” which Ghiotto said means some, but not all, of Grayson’s service was honorable. That type of discharge should be a “red flag” to potential future employers, Ghiotto said. But he said a “bigger red flag” is the listing of misconduct.

It’s unclear what the misconduct entailed. Offenses that can lead to a finding of misconduct can include drug abuse, sexual assault and going AWOL, or “absent without official leave,” Ghiotto said.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation confirmed Grayson was not convicted of any crimes in Kansas, the state where he was stationed with and discharged from the Army. However, the bureau’s records do not reflect whether Grayson was previously arrested or charged with any crimes that were later withdrawn, sent to a diversion program, or did not result in a conviction. 

Invisible Institute, Illinois Public Media, and the Investigative Reporting Workshop contacted law enforcement agencies in the counties surrounding Fort Riley. The Riley County Police Department said its only contact with Grayson came in 2015, when he hit a deer with his truck. The Geary County Sheriff’s Office refused to search for contacts between its agency and Grayson, claiming over the phone that to do so would be illegal. The Junction City Police Department said it did not have records of any contact with him.

Details are still emerging about the July 6 shooting of Massey, a Black woman who called the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department because of a suspected intruder at her home. Body-camera footage that has since been released shows that Grayson shot Massey three times after entering her home alongside another deputy and telling her to drop a pot of boiling water she was holding. The footage shows Massey ducking with her hands up, and saying “I’m sorry,” before Grayson fired, and that the officer later discouraged his fellow deputy from providing medical aid.

“She’s done,” Grayson said. “You can go get it, but that’s a head shot.”

The case has spurred national outcry and prompted President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to call for further police reform.

Following the shooting, Grayson was charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and is currently being held in the Menard County Jail without bond.

He was fired by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office shortly after charges were filed. Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell wrote in a statement posted online that Grayson’s actions do not reflect the values or training of his office. 

“Sonya Massey lost her life due to an unjustifiable and reckless decision by former Deputy Sean Grayson,” Campbell wrote. “Grayson had other options available that he should have used. He will now face judgment by the criminal justice system and will never again work in law enforcement.” 

In response to a request from Illinois Times, Campbell said in a statement, “The sheriff’s office had a copy of deputy Grayson’s Certificate of Release or Discharge which states that Grayson was given a general honorable discharge from the military.”

However, Ghiotto, the U of I law professor, said the form to which Campbell referred listed the “character” of Grayson’s service as “under honorable conditions (general),” which can be confusing for a lay person. But the nature of Grayson’s separation from the military was an involuntary discharge, Ghiotto said.

In Campbell’s statement, he also said his office “understood that the serious misconduct referenced in these documents was a DUI.