A resilient grandmother from Tucson, who had previously triumphed over cancer twice, met a tragic end after an alleged assault by a felon near her apartment, according to authorities.
The Tucson Police Department reported that Susan Gehrke, aged 61, succumbed to her injuries four days after being attacked on July 24 at her apartment complex.
Dahseir Edward Jefferson, 27, was taken into custody four days post-incident. Initially charged with two counts of aggravated assault, the charges were elevated to second-degree murder following Gehrke’s passing. He remains detained on a $650,000 bond.
61-year-old Susan Gehrke succumbed to her injuries following the attack on July 24, 2026. (GoFundMe)
In the aftermath, Gehrke’s family shared with KOLD that her injuries rendered 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.
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.
The male victim was allegedly punched first and suffered serious injuries after falling to the ground.
Dahseir Edward Jefferson, 27, was charged with second-degree murder during a court appearance on July 29, 2026. (Arizona Department of Corrections)
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.
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.
The Tucson Police Department confirmed to News Media that Susan Gehrke, 61, died from her injuries following an attack at an apartment complex. (Facebook/Susan Gehrke)
“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.”
Her family said that she beat cancer two times.
“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.
Detectives with the department’s Robbery Assault Unit and Homicide Unit are continuing to investigate.