Updated

Updated · Fox News · Aug 3

Tucson Police Charge 27-Year-Old Felon With Murder After 61-Year-Old Susan Gehrke Dies

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Aug 3

Tucson Police Charge 27-Year-Old Felon With Murder After 61-Year-Old Susan Gehrke Dies

Q: What sparked the deadly and unprovoked confrontation that robbed a two-time cancer survivor of her life just days before her birthday?

What sparked it, according to court documents, was a brief verbal exchange that escalated for no clear legitimate reason. Investigators say Susan Gehrke and another man were sitting on their apartment patio when Dahseir Edward Jefferson, described in court records as someone known as “Dice,” walked by toward an upstairs unit and began knocking on a door. One of the two reportedly called out to tell him the resident was not home. Police say Jefferson reacted by cursing and shouting insults as he came back down the stairs. The confrontation then turned physical when the male victim stepped off the patio to speak with Jefferson. Authorities allege Jefferson punched him in the face, causing him to fall and hit his head. When Gehrke moved to help the injured man, Jefferson allegedly punched her as well, knocking her unconscious. She fell, hit her head, suffered a brain bleed and died four days later. So, the best available account is that the deadly encounter appears to have been triggered by an offhand comment telling Jefferson that the person he was looking for was not home, followed by an argument that quickly spiraled into an apparently unprovoked assault. Police have not identified any deeper motive, and the case remains under investigation.

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 3

Susan Gehrke, 61, died four days after a July 24 assault at her Tucson apartment complex, prompting police to upgrade charges against Dahseir Edward Jefferson to second-degree murder.
Police said Jefferson, 27, approached Gehrke and a man on a patio around 10 p.m., turned confrontational, punched the man and assaulted Gehrke before fleeing.
Officers arrested Jefferson on July 28 near Speedway Boulevard and Country Club Road after an initial search; he is now being held on a $650,000 bond.
Arizona records show Jefferson previously served five years for aggravated assault and was released in October 2024; he also had an earlier burglary conviction.
Gehrke's family said the grandmother and two-time cancer survivor was nearing retirement, while Tucson police said homicide and robbery-assault detectives are still investigating.

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Fox News9d ago

Felon Dahseir Jefferson Charged with Murder After Tucson Woman Susan Gehrke Dies

Could the suspect's defense team exploit the four-day gap between the tragic patio assault and the victim's fatal brain bleed?

How did a recently released violent offender with prison violations end up freely roaming a Tucson apartment complex to strike again?

What sparked the deadly and unprovoked confrontation that robbed a two-time cancer survivor of her life just days before her birthday?

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1 total

Fox News9d ago

Felon Dahseir Jefferson Charged with Murder After Tucson Woman Susan Gehrke Dies

Tucson Police Charge 27-Year-Old Felon With Murder After 61-Year-Old Susan Gehrke Dies

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