On November 9, 2023, 34-year-old Vanessa Lorene Cherry-Davis was found deceased in the parking lot of a Super 8 motel in Fairview Heights, Illinois. Authorities discovered her with multiple gunshot wounds inside a black passenger vehicle. The incident is being investigated as a domestic homicide.
Shortly after the incident, police apprehended her husband, 48-year-old Clifton L. Davis, at a nearby bus stop. He has been charged with first-degree murder and aggravated unlawful use of a firearm. The suspected murder weapon was recovered near the crime scene. The motive remains under investigation.
Vanessa, affectionately known as "Nessa," was born on December 10, 1988, in Centreville, Illinois, to Loletha Cherry and Derrick Hendrix. She was the eldest of four siblings and graduated from East St. Louis Senior High School in 2009. At the time of her passing, she was employed by Allied Security in St. Louis, Missouri.
She is survived by her three children. A GoFundMe page established by her family to assist with funeral expenses notes, "In one violent act, these children lost both of their parents." The family has requested privacy during this difficult time.
