On a January night in 2016, the life of 21-year-old Jerquell O'Bryant Cheatham Sr. came to a violent end inside a South Richmond nightclub. Known to friends and family as 'Quell' or 'JOC,' the Richmond native was a father of two children, Zamiyah Winston and Jerquell Cheatham Jr., and was engaged to be married. Those who knew him remembered his love for life, which he expressed through playing pool, singing, and spending time with his family.
However, on January 18th, this young man's journey was cut short when he was fatally shot within the walls of the Illusions Night Club.
The events that unfolded on the dance floor led to a swift investigation. A witness reported seeing a man with a gun walk onto the dance floor and shoot Cheatham multiple times. The chaos of the moment also resulted in a second man being shot and a woman being struck by a car as she fled the building; both survived their injuries. Cheatham was pronounced dead at the scene. The investigation quickly pointed to 27-year-old Trevell A. Harvey as the perpetrator.
In May 2016, a jury found Trevell A. Harvey guilty of first-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of murder for the death of Jerquell Cheatham. For his actions, the jury recommended a sentence of life in prison, which was formally imposed by a judge in August of that year.
The story of Cheatham's death is further complicated by his own past. At the time of his murder, Cheatham was a person of interest in another fatal shooting. Law enforcement had identified him as the suspect in the death of Nickolas Clavier, who was killed during a road rage incident on October 24, 2015, while taking his children fishing. Authorities believe Cheatham shot and killed Clavier after Clavier displayed a firearm during their confrontation. Cheatham, who had a lengthy criminal history and was considered one of Central Virginia's 'most wanted' by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, was killed before he could be brought to justice for the earlier incident. With his death, the investigation into Clavier's killing was closed.
