SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Fifteen months after Sonya Massey, a Black woman who had called 911 for help, was killed in her home, the former police officer who fired the fatal shot is set to go on trial.

What we know:

Sean Grayson, 31, a former deputy for the Sangamon County Sheriff's Department in central Illinois, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder.

The trial was scheduled to begin Wednesday with opening statements. If convicted of murder, Grayson faces a sentence of 45 years to life in prison. Prosecutors dismissed single counts of aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct.

The backstory:

On July 6, 2024, Massey, a 36-year-old single mother of two teenagers who struggled with mental health issues, called emergency responders over a suspected pro

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