Jerome Thames, a 34-year-old registered sex offender, fatally shot himself at a Milwaukee gas station on November 3 as police sought to question him in the disappearance and death of Cieara Berry. Thames’s death occurred shortly after Berry, reported missing on November 2, was found dead in Walworth County, confirming police suspicions of foul play.
Milwaukee Police were called to Berry’s last known address after her family reported not seeing her for an extended period. The Department of Corrections, aware that Thames was under GPS monitoring, provided data placing him at Berry’s residence and later at the gas station where the incident occurred.
A search warrant executed at the residence led to the discovery of a minivan associated with Thames. A receipt from a purchase Berry made on the day she disappeared, along with corresponding surveillance footage, suggested Thames was with her before her death.
The investigation, which spanned multiple jurisdictions, initially involved a missing person’s report and escalated to a homicide case after Berry’s body was found 20 yards from Creek Road with gunshot wounds. The subsequent suicide of Thames closed a significant chapter in the case but left unanswered questions about the events leading to Berry’s murder.
Milwaukee Police stated that evidence indicates Berry was killed in the city before her body was transported to the Town of Darien. Walworth County officials are preparing to release more information following the incident. As the investigation continues, the focus now shifts to understanding the motive and circumstances surrounding Berry’s death.
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