In the early afternoon of January 2, 2017, the life of Eric Cherry, a male resident of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, was tragically cut short in what became the city's first homicide of the year. The fatal encounter unfolded in the 3100 block of Almetta Street, where a heated verbal altercation escalated to deadly violence. Mary Melissa Blair, a 36-year-old woman with light brown hair and multiple tattoos, was identified by witnesses as the person who, after the argument, began shooting at Cherry.
Responding to a call about a man yelling for help around 2:45 p.m., Pine Bluff police officers discovered Cherry lying on the sidewalk, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was immediately transported to Jefferson Regional Medical Center, but the severity of his injuries proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead. Witnesses at the scene described the shooter as a woman named Melissa who fled the area, possibly in a small red SUV.
The Pine Bluff Police Department swiftly launched an investigation, and later that same day, Mary Melissa Blair was arrested in connection with the shooting. She was booked into the Jefferson County Jail and subsequently charged with first-degree murder. The motive for the verbal dispute that led to the deadly shooting was not immediately made public.
Ultimately, Mary Melissa Blair was convicted for her role in the death of Eric Cherry. On February 1, 2018, she was sentenced to 30 years in prison for first-degree murder. She is currently incarcerated at the McPherson Unit, a correctional facility for female inmates in Arkansas.
