Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – What’s expected to be the final hearing before the Sean Grayson murder trial is now complete, and while some rulings were made in favor of the defense Friday, some were not.

On Friday, a Sangamon County judge ruled that much of Grayson’s personal and work history could not be brought up at trial, a win for the defense.

But, what Grayson said as recorded on police body camera video the night of July 6, 2024, can be, a win for prosecutors — things like this, said after Sonya Massey was shot in the face.

“I’m not taking f***ing boiling water to the f***ing head,” said Grayson, in the video.  “And, look.  It f***ing came right to our feet, too.  G****mn it!”

There are at least two points in the video where Grayson said that after the shooting.  Massey had been attempting to remove a pot of boiling water from her stove, at the request of deputies.

The defense claimed those remarks have nothing to do with the then-deputy’s point of view when Massey was shot.

Another win for prosecutors came when it was ruled that an alleged history of aggression by Massey could not be introduced as evidence.

Massey’s dad, James Wilburn, is glad that the judge is apparently not buying that part of the self-defense defense.

“They tried to paint my daughter as some sort of aggressor.  The judge threw that one out,” said Wilburn.  “There’s a situation when there’s a self-defense situation where you can start out defending yourself, then you can become the aggressor later on.  The judge would have none of that.”

The defense lawyer suggested the state wanted to turn the trial into “Sean Grayson, This Is Your Life.”

The trial is set for October 20 in Peoria.