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A Tucson grandmother who twice survived cancer died after she was allegedly attacked by a felon outside her apartment complex, authorities said.
The Tucson Police Department confirmed that 61-year-old Susan Gehrke died four days after a July 24 attack at an apartment complex.
Dahseir Edward Jefferson, 27, was arrested four days after the attack and initially booked on two counts of aggravated assault. Police later amended the charges to include second-degree murder following Gehrke’s death. He is being held on a $650,000 bond.
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The late grandmother’s family told KOLD the injuries left her “unrecognizable.”
“She’s an old lady that literally worked her whole life to support her family, and that’s the most memorable thing that anybody could do,” Gehrke’s grandson, Frankie Zills, told the outlet.
Tucson police officers and firefighters responded at approximately 10 p.m. July 24 to reports of a fight at the apartment complex at 1201 N. Alvernon Way.
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Officers discovered Gehrke and a man suffering from injuries, police said. Gehrke was taken to a hospital in life-threatening condition while the unidentified attacker fled before officers arrived.
Investigators learned that Gehrke and the man had been on an apartment patio when Jefferson allegedly approached the area, became confrontational and assaulted both of them, according to police.
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The male victim was allegedly punched first and suffered serious injuries after falling to the ground.
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Detectives identified Jefferson during the initial investigation and began searching for him, police said. Members of the Tucson Police Department’s community engagement squad located him on July 28 near Speedway Boulevard and Country Club Road and arrested him.
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Jefferson had previously served time in an Arizona prison for aggravated assault, according to state records.
He was sentenced to five years in 2021 and released in October 2024. He also had an earlier burglary conviction.
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“Susan was a beacon of light to everyone who knew her,” the family said. “She spent her entire life working tirelessly, pouring her heart into her family, and putting others before herself. She was just on the brink of retiring — a milestone she had worked so hard for and was so excited to finally enjoy.”
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Her family said that she beat cancer two times.
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“Words cannot describe the pain and shock our family is navigating right now. After beating cancer twice, her life was taken by a violent individual with prior criminal charges of violence,” family said.
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Detectives with the department’s Robbery Assault Unit and Homicide Unit are continuing to investigate.
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