Sonya Massey's son, 17, breaks his silence to pay tribute to his 'ball of love' mother who 'cooked him the best food' as family accuse cops of trying to cover up killing

Sonya Massey's teenage son described in his mother as 'loving,' 'very smart' and somebody who 'always helped everybody but herself' in a heartbreaking new interview. 

Massey, 36, a mother-of-two from Springfield, Illinois, was shot dead in her kitchen by a white sheriff's deputy Sean Grayson, 36, after she called law enforcement to investigate a prowler in the area outside of her home on July 6. 

Her family are now seeking to draw attention to the shooting after bodycam footage showed the shocking circumstances of her death. Leaked audio also hears an officer tell a dispatcher Massey's wounds were 'self-inflicted.'

The Massey family is being represented by civil right attorney Ben Crump. They say that there was a cover-up which saw officers tell hospital staff that Massey shot herself, and later, that she was shot by an intruder. 

Speaking to CBS News, Malachi Hill-Massey, 17, spoke lovingly about his mother.

Malaci Hill-Massey, 17, and Sonya Massey's mother, Donna, sat down for an interview with CBS News in which they described the trauma they have experienced in the wake of the shooting

'A good mother. She was very smart and always helped everybody but herself. Just a ball of love, honestly, to me,' Malachi spoke lovingly about his mother, pictured above

'A good mother. She was very smart and always helped everybody but herself. Just a ball of love, honestly, to me. She cooked me the best food. I love her food, honestly,' he said. 

'She's just the most loving person ever. I don't know. That's the person that made me just feel so loved.'

At a press conference held by the family on Tuesday, in which they laid out their grievances regarding the shooting, Malachi told the gathered reporters that he could not bring himself to watch the horrific bodycam video. 

'I don't have no words for this,' he told the crowd. 

In the CBS interview, Massey's mother, Donna, reiterated the need for an investigation into the cover-up, emphasizing that the official story has changed.

'They said it's under investigation, then they said that they told the doctors at the hospital that she committed suicide—and then they changed it,' she said.

'They kept changing the story.'

At Massey's funeral on July 19, her father, James Wilburn, told mourners that the family only learned that this was an officer involved shooting through the media. 

At a press conference, Malachi told the audience that he could not bring himself to watch the bodycam footage which showed his mother's death 

 Donna told CBS that the first story she was told by the hospital was that her daughter had been shot by someone, without saying who. 

'We're going to get justice for sure. I know. We are for sure,' she added. 

What led to the shooting of Sonya Massey 

Sean Grayson and another Sangamon County sheriff's deputy were called to Sonya Massey's home after she dialled 911 fearing a prowler at 12:50 a.m. July 6.

The two officers searched the exterior of the home for 30 minutes, discovering only a car with smashed windows. 

During her interactions with the officers, Massey made several mentions of Jesus Christ and the Bible.  

Massey had placed a pot of possibly hot water on the counter on Grayson's instructions.

The victim made a comment about 'rebuking' Grayson in the name of Jesus Christ.  

Grayson was in the living room when he then drew his firearm and threatened to shoot Massey in the face, prompting her to put her hands in the air and say, 'I'm sorry.'

Massey ducks for cover behind a counter separating the two. 

Grayson moved closer, yelled at Massey to put the pot down and opened fire, hitting her three times, once in the head.

Grayson did not render aid and discouraged the other deputy not to provide help. 

The second deputy, who was not named, stayed by Massey until medics arrived. She was pronounced dead at St. John's Hospital. 

Donna has already met with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris is also slated to occur. President Joe Biden released a statement saying he was left 'heartbroken' by the shooting. 

At a news conference Tuesday in Springfield, Ben Crump asserted that the Justice Department had opened an investigation into the incident, 'which is welcome, because there have been some concerns and revelations by the family that we think need to be investigated.' 

He said he did not know the scope of the probe.

But in a statement, the Department of Justice said it 'is aware of and assessing the circumstances surrounding the tragic officer-involved death' and said it 'will continue to track the criminal case.'

James Wilburn, Massey's father, called for Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell to resign.

'I want to tell y'all the sheriff here is an embarrassment,' Wilburn said. 'This man (Grayson) should have never had a badge. And he should have never had a gun. He should have never been given the opportunity to kill my child.' 

 The Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board shows Grayson was hired part time on Aug. 11, 2020, by the Pawnee Police Department. 

He also was hired part time on Feb. 4, 2021, by the Kincaid Police Department and on May 20, 2021, by the Virden Police Department.

Two months later, he was hired full time by the Auburn Police Department and remained there until May 1, 2022, when he was hired full time by the Logan County Sheriff's Office. 

Grayson left Logan County on April 28, 2023, and was hired full time on May 1, 2023, by the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office.

He received his part-time Law Enforcement Certification on June 5, 2021, according to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. His certification status currently reads as suspended on the board's website.