AncientFaces Your browser does not support JavaScript!
Please enable JavaScript to view the entire contents of this page.

Cherie L Gillson 1967 - 2002

Cherie Lynne (Miller) Gillson was born on December 12, 1967 in Peoria, Peoria County, Illinois United States, and died at age 34 years old on March 6, 2002 in Metamora, Woodford County. Cherie Gillson was buried at Cremated.

Cherie Lynne (Miller) Gillson

Cherie Garman Whitten, Cherie L Alexander, Cherie L Garman, Cherie L Whitten, L Alexander Cherie

December 12, 1967

Peoria, Peoria County, Illinois, United States

March 6, 2002

Metamora, Woodford County, Illinois, 61548, United States

Female

Looking for another Cherie Miller?

Cherie L Gillson Cherie Gillson (1967 - 2002)

ADVERTISEMENT BY ANCESTRY.COM

This page exists for YOU
and everyone who remembers Cherie.

Share what you know,
even ask what you wish you knew.

Invite others to do the same,
but don't worry if you can't...

Someone, somewhere will find this page,
and we'll notify you when they do.

Cherie Lynne (Miller) Gillson's History: 1967 - 2002

Uncover new discoveries and connections today by sharing about people & moments from yesterday.

- Discover how AncientFaces works.

Introduction

Cherie Lynn Miller was born on December 12, 1967 to parents Jay Emerson Miller (1941-2001) and Judith Faye Fehr (1945-1994). She had a brother Jay E Miller Jr, a half sister named Ellen Nathan, and multiple step siblings. She was mother to three sons, Jeffrey, Jospeh, and Coty. On March 6, 2002, Cherie was stabbed to death in her home in Eurka and her body was found by her 9 year old son.
12/12

1967

Birthday

December 12, 1967

Birthdate

Peoria, Peoria County, Illinois United States

Birthplace

ADVERTISEMENT BY
Ethnicity & Family History

She was white, her father was born in Garden City, Cass County, Missouri and her mother was born in Peoria, Illinois.
Nationality & Locations

Cherie lived in Princeton New Jersey, Eureka Illinois, Goodfield Illinois, and Peoria, Illinois, USA.
Early Life & Education

Cherie was a senior at Metamora Township High School (Metamora, Illinois, USA) in 1987.
03/6

2002

Death

March 6, 2002

Death date

She was murdered. Knifed by mentally challenged teenage boy while she slept.

Cause of death

Metamora, Woodford County, Illinois 61548, United States
Death location

ADVERTISEMENT BY
Gravesite & Burial

mm/dd/yyyy
Funeral date
Cremated
Burial location
share

Memories

below

Join one other
who remembers Cherie

Select options below to share special moments.

Baptism Religious Beliefs Military Service Professional Career Personal Life & Family Obituary Add Memory Add Photo Ask others to share

Share what you remember.
Ask what you wish to know.
Connect to discover more.
Advertisement
Did you know?

Cherie L Gillson lived 39 years shorter than the average family member when died at the age of 34.

The average age of a Miller family member is 73.

ADVERTISEMENT BY
Looking for more information?
share

Memories

below

4 Memories, Stories & Photos about Cherie

Lizzie Kunde

29.0k+ favorites

11/29/2022

Cherie L Miller

Photo published next to her obituary.

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

Comments

Lizzie Kunde

29.0k+ favorites

11/29/2022

Bloody Knife Found Six Months Later

EUREKA - A startling discovery at the former home of stabbing victim Cherie Gillson has triggered a delay in the trial of the teenager accused of killing her: Woodford County State's Attorney Mike Stroh said Friday that a bloody knife was recovered Sept. 20 more.than six months after authorities combed Gillson's Eureka residence in the wake of her death. The knife apparently fell out of a couch as people were moving furniture at the home, said Dan Harrod, court-appointed attorney for David Stafford. Stafford, 17, of Eureka, faces five counts of first-degree murder stemming from Gillson's death.
Eureka Police Chief Al Misener said he doesn't know how the knife remained undiscovered in the couch for so long. "It's hard to believe it was just sticking in the cushions because we picked up the cushions," Misener said. There were no fingerprints on the recently found knife, but preliminary tests were positive for the victim's blood, Stroh said. He said a final analysis is due next week.
Eureka Police Chief Al Misener said the knife was found by people who apparently were moving furniture from Gillson's foreclosed home at 409 W. Court St. The potentially critical piece of evidence was left sitting on a porch railing. A Eureka officer picked up the knife, and it was turned over to the state police, Misener said. Misener said his department as well as state police who processed the crime scene searched the couch. He said he's unsure exactly where the knife was located.

The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois) Saturday, October 12, 2002

Comments

Lizzie Kunde

29.0k+ favorites

11/29/2022

Teen Charged with Murder

EUREKA - A teenage boy was charged on Monday with murdering a Eureka woman who had supervised him on his school bus.
David Stafford, 17, of Enchanted Gardens, Eureka, confessed to the March 6 stabbing of Cherie Gillson, Woodford County State's Attorney Mike Stroh said, Stafford faces five counts of first-degree murder. Four of the charges allege different states of mind at the time of the killing; the fifth charge accuses Stafford of murdering Gillson while burglarizing her home at 409 W. Court St. Stafford faces up to 60 years in prison if convicted of first-degree murder. Prosecutors can't seek the death penalty because Stafford is under age 18. Circuit Judge John Huschen set bond at $100,000 and appointed Stafford a public defender.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 8. David Stafford's father, Bob Stafford, contacted police on Saturday to say that that his son had "been acting very strangely lately," Stroh said. Bob Stafford reported that the 17-year-old boy suddenly shaved his mustache and had episodes of uncontrollable crying after Gillson, 34, was found stabbed to death at her home, Stroh said.
The elder Stafford also reported that he caught David Stafford trying to leave their Eureka home in the middle of the night in the avid weeks before Gillson's death. The father also told police that his son had fantasies involving the rape and torture of women, Stroh said. Authorities then interviewed David Stafford. He admitted killing Gillson, fondling her breasts and stealing two of her videotapes, Stroh said. Gillson reportedly had supervised David Stafford as a substitute bus monitor for the Congerville-Eureka-Goodfield school system.

By Steve Silverman, The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois) 19 Mar 2002

Comments

Lizzie Kunde

29.0k+ favorites

11/29/2022

Murder Story

Stroh began closing arguments Monday by showing the jury a photo of Gillson and describing the modest life she lived as a single mother of a 9. year-old son. Stroh then described "every person's fear" of a sound in the house at night and how it usually ends when "you pull open the door and no one's there." For Gillson "when that door was open, he thrust a knife into her abdomen," said Stroh. "Cherie Gillson lived that nightmare."
"There wasn't one part of her body that didn't have at least one knife wound," said Stroh. "Then he cupped his hand under her head and whispered the last words she would ever hear, 'Goodbye, b-'". Defense attorney Dan Harrod said there were 25 different "puzzling issues" with evidence in the case. Not all evidence found at the scene was analyzed. No fingerprint or DNA evidence connected Stafford to the knife, said Harrod.
He also brought into question Stafford's state of mind when he gave the police a taped confession. Harrod said Stafford was a special-education student who was awakened at midnight by armed men. The result was he told the police what they wanted to hear, Harrod said.
Stroh countered that Stafford admitted the crime many times, including in a letter he wrote to the victim's son saying, "Iknow this letter will never justify what I did to you, your family and most importantly, your mother." "Hold him responsible. Find him guilty," Stroh said to jurors. "Allow Cherie Gillson to rest."

The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois) Tue Aug 26, 2003.

Comments

Loading...one moment please

- See how biographies work.

Be the 1st to share and we'll let you know when others do the same.

ADVERTISEMENT BY ANCESTRY.COM

Cherie Miller's Family Tree & Friends

Cherie Miller's Family Tree

Parent

Cherie L Gillson Dec 12, 1967 - Mar 6, 2002

Partner

Child

Sibling

Friendships

Cherie's Friends

1 Follower & Sources

ADVERTISEMENT BY ANCESTRY.COM

Other Biographies

Other Cherie Miller Biographies

Miller, Cherie (Dec 20, 1973 - Aug 12, 1996)

Other Miller Family Biographies

Miller, Gertrude (Born Aug 24, 1920) Miller, Leonard (Oct 5, 1922 - Jun 15, 1969) Miller, Beulah (Born Oct 19, 1909) Miller, Pleasant (Born Aug 30, 1869) Miller, Effie (Born Sep 19, 1893) Miller, Louisa (Born Oct 16, 1896) Miller, Belmont (Born Mar 21, 1902) Miller, Elijah (Born May 21, 1870) Miller, Margaret (Born Sep 21, 1896) Miller, Ray

Miller, Philip (Born Mar 19, 1915) Miller, Grace Myrtle (Born Apr 23, 1895) Miller, Joseph (Born Jun 1854) Miller, Polly (Born Nov 3, 1885) Miller, Fred Miller, George (Sep 30, 1908 - Nov 1972) Miller, Isaac (Born Dec 3, 1836) Miller, Jane Elizabeth (Born Sep 8, 1847) Miller, Katherine (Born Jan 3, 1897) Babb, Sarah (Born Sep 25, 1865)

About the AncientFaces Community

Cherie L Gillson 1967 - 2002

Cherie Lynne (Miller) Gillson's History: 1967 - 2002

Introduction

Birthday

Ethnicity & Family History

Nationality & Locations

Early Life & Education

Death

Gravesite & Burial

4 Memories, Stories & Photos about Cherie

Cherie Miller's Family Tree & Friends

Cherie Miller's Family Tree

Cherie's Friends

Other Cherie Miller Biographies

Other Miller Family Biographies