Tucson Grandmother Who Overcame Cancer Dies After Alleged Assault by Felon
Susan Gehrke, a 61-year-old Tucson grandmother who survived cancer twice, died four days after being attacked outside her apartment, and a 27-year-old suspect has been charged with second-degree murder.
On the night of July 24, Tucson officers responded to a disturbance at 1201 N. Alvernon Way and found Susan Gehrke and another man injured after an alleged confrontation with Dahseir Edward Jefferson. Gehrke was taken to a hospital in critical condition and died four days later, leaving her family grieving the loss of a longtime caregiver who had beaten cancer twice. Jefferson, 27, was apprehended on July 28 near Speedway Boulevard and Country Club Road by the police department’s community-engagement squad.
He was first booked on two aggravated assault charges, which were subsequently amended to include second-degree murder following Gehrke’s death, and is being held on a $650,000 bond. State records show Jefferson served a five-year sentence for aggravated assault in 2021 and was released in October 2024, with an earlier burglary conviction also on his record. The Tucson Police Department’s Robbery Assault and Homicide Units continue the investigation.
Why it matters
The case highlights concerns about repeat violent offenders and the tragic loss of a community member who had overcome serious illness.
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