A Tucson grandmother remembered by loved ones as a devoted family provider and two-time cancer survivor has died after police say she was brutally attacked outside her apartment complex by a convicted felon.
Susan Gehrke, 61, died four days after the July 24 assault, the Tucson Police Department confirmed.
Authorities arrested 27-year-old Dahseir Edward Jefferson four days after the incident. He was first booked on two aggravated assault counts, but after Gehrke succumbed to her injuries, police upgraded the case to include a second-degree murder charge. Jefferson remains jailed on a $650,000 bond.
Susan Gehrke, 61, died from injuries sustained in a July 24, 2026 attack. (GoFundMe)
Gehrke’s family told KOLD that the violence left her so severely injured she was “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,” her grandson, Frankie Zills, told the station.
Police said officers and Tucson firefighters were called at about 10 p.m. on July 24 after reports of a fight at the apartment complex located at 1201 N. Alvernon Way.
When first responders arrived, they found Gehrke and a man injured at the scene, according to police. Gehrke was rushed to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, while the suspected attacker had already fled before officers got there.
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 Outlet 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.
