Month: October 2025

By Lauren Victory, Charlie De Mar, Sara Tenenbaum

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    Illinois (WBBM) — A jury has found former Sangamon County deputy Sean Grayson guilty of second-degree murder for the fatal police shooting of Sonya Massey.

Grayson was charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the 2024 deadly police shooting, and the jury was given the option of convicting him of second-degree murder. They found him not guilty on all three counts of first-degree murder.

A first-degree murder conviction could have meant up to life in prison. The conviction on second-degree murder could carry a prison sentence of anywhere from four to 20 years, but could also carry a sentence of probation with no prison time at all. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

The jury alerted the judge that they had reached a verdict around 2 p.m. It was read at 2:28 p.m.

The jury deliberated for several hours after closing arguments ended late Tuesday morning before adjourning for the night. Deliberations resumed Wednesday morning around 8:30 a.m.

The jury has asked several questions and made some requests so far today. They have asked to see Grayson’s previous employment and training history, and want another look at the evidence used in the trial but what specifically they have asked for has not yet been made public.

Massey, a 36-year-old unarmed Black woman, called police for help in July 2024 for a possible prowler outside her home.

Inside the home, Grayson said Massey began acting erratically and rebuked him “in the name of Jesus” while walking towards a pot of water on her stove. Body cam video from Grayson’s partner captured the shooting; Grayson’s body camera was not activated for most the call, only turning on shortly after he pulled his weapon.

Massey died of a gunshot wound. Grayson faces three first-degree murder charges.

Dawson Farley, his former partner on that night, testified during the trial that he was not afraid of Massey during the call, but instead feared Grayson. Farley told the jury that, while he was confused after Massey said “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” he never perceived that as a threat. He added he only unholstered his gun because Grayson did.

Grayson took the stand in his own defense. He testified that finding broken windows on her car, her 911 call for help and waiting four minutes for her to answer the phone made him concerned someone else was inside. He also said he believed she may have been “under the influence of something” and said she appeared “scatterbrained.”

He also testified that he perceived Massey holding the pot of hot water from the stove as a threat.

Along with the three charges of first-degree murder, jurors were given the option to find Grayson guilty of second-degree murder charges. Prosecutors are pushing for the first-degree murder conviction, pointing out that Grayson threatened to shoot Massey in the face right before he actually did.

“The jury would then have to decide if he was acting reasonably in thinking he was acting in self-defense or whether or not that belief was unreasonable. That’s the difference between being found guilty of potentially first-degree murder and second-degree murder,” said CBS News Legal Analyst Irv Miller.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

KCBS

By Rina Nakano

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    TORRANCE, California (KCAL, KCBS) — A 10-year-old boy from Torrance made history as the youngest stem cell donor at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, giving his father a second chance at life.

There’s nothing more that Nick Mondek loves more than being a dad. But in 2022, an aggressive form of acute myeloid leukemia put the then 45-year-old on his deathbed. “I’m thinking about my sons, and I’m thinking about how I’m not ready to move on yet,” Mondek said.

Thankfully, his older brother Dave was a match. Several rounds of chemotherapy erased Mondek’s cancerous cells and replaced them with his brother’s. By the end of the year, he was able to return to work as an anesthesiologist.

“It was an incredible feeling just to have someone that you’ve idolized your whole life come and save you,” Mondek said.

Unfortunately, remission didn’t last long, and in April this year, Mondek said the cancer came back “ferociously fast.”

With his brother Dave no longer an option as the cancer found a way around his stem cells, Mondek searched for cousins in the National Marrow Donor Program, but no donor match was found.

Desperation got him thinking about a friend with lymphoma who received a donation from his 19-year-old son. Mondek wondered if his own son could do the same for him, “But he’s only 9 and he’s 70 pounds,” he said.

Tests revealed that his older son Stevie, was a 50% match, enough to confuse the current cancer cells and replace them.

“I just told him that we were looking for other donors because I didn’t want him to feel pressured, like this was something he had to do. And I just left it up to him,” Mondek said.

Stevie says he didn’t even hesitate; the answer was obvious. “I wanted to help him get rid of his cancer, and I wasn’t nervous at all,” he said. In July, Stevie made history by becoming the youngest stem cell donor ever at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

The transplant was a success, with tests showing that 99% of Mondek’s body is made of Stevie’s healthy cells.

“He donated six million stem cells to save my life, so it’s not just an honor to call him my son, I’m proud to call him my hero,” Mondek said.

For Stevie, the experience has profoundly impacted him. “I want to be a doctor in baseball,” he said.

“He’s great at baseball, and he’s already on his way to becoming a doctor; he already saved one patient,” Mondek said with a beaming smile. “So, he can save more.”

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Rina Nakano

Click here for updates on this story

    TORRANCE, California (KCAL, KCBS) — A 10-year-old boy from Torrance made history as the youngest stem cell donor at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, giving his father a second chance at life.

There’s nothing more that Nick Mondek loves more than being a dad. But in 2022, an aggressive form of acute myeloid leukemia put the then 45-year-old on his deathbed. “I’m thinking about my sons, and I’m thinking about how I’m not ready to move on yet,” Mondek said.

Thankfully, his older brother Dave was a match. Several rounds of chemotherapy erased Mondek’s cancerous cells and replaced them with his brother’s. By the end of the year, he was able to return to work as an anesthesiologist.

“It was an incredible feeling just to have someone that you’ve idolized your whole life come and save you,” Mondek said.

Unfortunately, remission didn’t last long, and in April this year, Mondek said the cancer came back “ferociously fast.”

With his brother Dave no longer an option as the cancer found a way around his stem cells, Mondek searched for cousins in the National Marrow Donor Program, but no donor match was found.

Desperation got him thinking about a friend with lymphoma who received a donation from his 19-year-old son. Mondek wondered if his own son could do the same for him, “But he’s only 9 and he’s 70 pounds,” he said.

Tests revealed that his older son Stevie, was a 50% match, enough to confuse the current cancer cells and replace them.

“I just told him that we were looking for other donors because I didn’t want him to feel pressured, like this was something he had to do. And I just left it up to him,” Mondek said.

Stevie says he didn’t even hesitate; the answer was obvious. “I wanted to help him get rid of his cancer, and I wasn’t nervous at all,” he said. In July, Stevie made history by becoming the youngest stem cell donor ever at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

The transplant was a success, with tests showing that 99% of Mondek’s body is made of Stevie’s healthy cells.

“He donated six million stem cells to save my life, so it’s not just an honor to call him my son, I’m proud to call him my hero,” Mondek said.

For Stevie, the experience has profoundly impacted him. “I want to be a doctor in baseball,” he said.

“He’s great at baseball, and he’s already on his way to becoming a doctor; he already saved one patient,” Mondek said with a beaming smile. “So, he can save more.”

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Paula Wethington

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    DETROIT (WWJ) — A Zoom hearing camera caught a view of a Detroit Police Department officer appearing without pants on when identifying himself for a virtual hearing.

The scenario happened during a court hearing Monday in the 36th District Court, where a woman faced a charge of drag racing,

District Court Judge Sean B. Perkins was seen at his bench. The defendant, her attorney and Officer Matthew Jackson from the Detroit Police Department’s 12th Precinct were all participating virtually via Zoom. The defendant had just agreed to accept the plea offer on her case on drag racing and disorderly conduct, with other charges to be dismissed. And then Judge Perkins called upon the officer.

“Officer Jackson? Good morning to you. Can you put your appearance on the record, please?” Perkins asked.

In response, Jackson held up his hand and gave his name. The camera on the computer he had logged onto showed a view of him wearing a uniform shirt and badge.

That initial view of Jackson also showed his bare legs, without his uniform pants.

The defense attorney, whom one of the next camera views showed, was seen with a puzzled look on her face.

The camera view went back to the judge, who appears to have noticed the camera monitor at his desk.

“You got some pants on, officer?” the judge asked in response.

Jackson repositioned his camera closer to his face and began to say, “Sir, they’re in the …” Then he broke off that sentence and said, “No, sir.”

The judge then quickly pivoted the discussion toward the defendant, calling her name and continuing the proceedings.

The dress code for the 36th District Court says casual business attire is preferred. The dress code prohibits wearing shorts, cutoffs, skorts, “and other clothing which is not suitable in a Court or any other professional environment” for a hearing.

In the aftermath of the uniform view — and subsequent attention to the video — Detroit Police Chief Todd A. Bettison issued the following statement:

“The Detroit Police Department requires its officers to represent themselves in a dignified and professional manner while attending court proceedings. The involved officer’s actions are not representative of the professionalism of this department and will be appropriately addressed to maintain the public confidence and efficient operation of this department.

“Our apologies are hereby extended to the judges and staff of the court, as well as anyone else who may have been in attendance during this incident.”

As for the hearing, the defendant’s charge was amended from reckless driving. She pleaded guilty and was fined $240 upon the conclusion of the hearing, court records show.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.