Dionna W. “Dee” Causey was a loving and caring mother of five who dreamed of becoming a nurse. Born on March 18, 1996, in Peoria, Illinois, to her parents Dionne Causey and Wendell McNeil, she was a lifelong resident of the city and a graduate of Peoria Central High School. The 30-year-old female was remembered by her family for her spirit. She was a devoted mother to her children, Damien Irby Jr., Ameer Barnes, Armani Barnes, Amiri Hall, and Jayde Hall.
Her loved ones, including her parents and numerous siblings, were left grappling with a loss that her sister, Shawn Causey, said still didn’t feel real.
On the afternoon of Monday, October 5, 2026, Dionna was in her SUV in her hometown of Peoria when she was shot multiple times. The Peoria Police Department later identified the initial crime scene as being in the 1900 block of West Antoinette Street. After being wounded, Dionna managed to drive her vehicle about a half-mile away from the scene. Shortly before 1:30 p.m., her SUV crashed into the Da Catch restaurant, a business attached to the City Market building at the intersection of South Western Avenue and Howett Street on Peoria's South Side. Police officers were initially dispatched to the area for reports of shots fired, and while on their way, they were updated that a vehicle had struck the building.
When first responders arrived, they found Dionna inside the crashed sport utility vehicle. She was in critical condition and was rushed to OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center for emergency treatment. An autopsy would later confirm that she had suffered multiple gunshot wounds throughout her body. Despite the efforts of the medical staff, Dionna Causey died in the operating room at 5:22 p.m. The news came as a devastating shock to her family. “I completely lost it and broke down because I was not expecting my baby sister to be dead,” her sister Shawn said in the days following the tragedy.
The Peoria Police Department launched an investigation into Dionna’s death. As her family mourned and pleaded for answers and justice, detectives worked to piece together the events that led to her killing. The investigation led them to identify a suspect: 30-year-old Maurice Graves. Authorities secured an arrest warrant for Graves on a charge of first-degree murder.
Ten days after the shooting, on Thursday, October 15, 2026, the search for the suspect came to an end. Members of the Peoria Police Department, working in coordination with the U.S. Marshals Service, located Maurice Graves in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was found inside a home in the 7800 block of West Oklahoma Avenue and was taken into custody without incident. Peoria detectives traveled to Milwaukee to interview Graves before he was formally arrested.
While the family waited for an arrest, they prepared to say their final goodbyes. A Homegoing Service for Dionna was held on Friday, October 16, 2026, at the Grace Apostolic Assembly on Laramie Street in Peoria. Visitation was held an hour before the service, allowing friends and the community to gather and support her grieving relatives. In the wake of her death, a GoFundMe page was established to help provide for her five children, who were left without their mother.
As of October 2026, Maurice Graves was in custody in Wisconsin, awaiting extradition to Peoria to face the first-degree murder charge in connection with Dionna Causey's death. The Peoria Police Department stated that the case remained under investigation. Authorities encouraged anyone with information about the homicide to contact the Peoria Police Department at 309-673-4521. Anonymous tips could also be submitted through tip411 or by contacting Crime Stoppers at 309-673-9000.
