In the late summer of 2017, the community of Jamestown, North Dakota, was shaken by the tragic death of Cherish Renae Petersen, a 26-year-old White woman. On the evening of Sunday, August 6, 2017, law enforcement officers were called to a residence where they discovered the bodies of Petersen and a man with whom she was in a relationship. The grim discovery marked the end of a life described by those who knew her as joyful and loving.
Subsequent investigation by the Jamestown Police
Department and the North Dakota Forensic Examiner's Office revealed the devastating circumstances of her death. Authorities determined that Cherish Petersen was the victim of a homicide, having been shot in the back of her head. Her death was ruled a murder-suicide, with the perpetrator identified as 33-year-old Casey Jensen. Investigators concluded that after shooting Petersen, Jensen died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. It is believed the tragic events unfolded sometime between late Friday and early Saturday of that weekend.
Adding to the heartbreak of the situation, a three-month-old infant was found unharmed inside the home. The baby was immediately tended to for dehydration and was subsequently turned over to the care of family members. Evidence collected at the scene by law enforcement included a rifle and two shell casings. The case was closed with the determination that Jensen was the sole person responsible for Petersen's death, leaving a family and community to mourn the senseless loss of a young mother.
