In the summer of 2020, a Jackson, Tennessee community was shaken by the tragic death of Shewanna Gray-Cross, a 53-year-old female correctional facility counselor and mother of three. On Sunday, August 16th, police responded to a call at her home on Tricia Cove, where they made a grim discovery. Shewanna was found deceased in her bed, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds to her head and body.
The scene within the home suggested a violent struggle, with damage to the back door.
The investigation quickly focused on a suspect close to home: her own son. Her 21-year-old son, Curdarius Cross, was identified as the primary suspect in the domestic homicide. He was taken into custody in Nashville later that same evening. Another son who was present in the house at the time of the incident told police that he heard his mother scream, followed by the sound of gunshots. He reported seeing his brother, Curdarius, in the hallway holding a gun. Fearing for his own life, he escaped the house by breaking a window and said he heard more gunshots as his brother chased him.
In his interview with law enforcement, Curdarius Cross denied any involvement in his mother's death. He claimed to have been at work in Nashville at the time of the shooting, a statement that investigators said was contradicted by phone records. Initially arrested on a second-degree murder charge, the charges against him were later upgraded to first-degree murder.
News of Shewanna's death and her son's arrest sent ripples of shock and grief through the community. Those who knew her described her as a great person, with a forgiving nature. Her death left a void in the lives of her family and friends, who sought to honor her memory while grappling with the devastating circumstances surrounding her passing.
