It  was  a  joyous  morning (4:00 am), in  a  casino  arcade. 7-year-old  Sherrice  Iverson was  left in  the  care of  her  14-year-old  brother  Harold, who obviously was NOT  the  most  responsible  person in   the  world. Their  father Leroy  Iverson   gambled  the night away. Sherrice  like  any   adorable  7-year-old,  ran  through  the  casino  with bliss. She  met  a  male  child  who  was  around  her same age, they began  to  throw  wet  paper towels  at each other  (innocently). One  of  Sherrice Iverson's  paper towels  hit  a  white  male  by  the name of  Jeremy Strohmeyer.

18-year-old  Jeremy  Strohmeyer picked  the paper  towel  up and threw it back  at Sherrice. Shortly  there-after, he  became  her  playmate  of  "Hide and  seek". Sherrice, with her  7-year-old   mind, thought  that  the restroom  would  be  a good  hiding  spot. Sadly  enough, this was  not  the  case. Strohmeyer  followed Sherrice into  the  restroom (women's restroom), as he  was   walking  towards  her, she  hit him  with  a  "caution wet floor  sign". He  then  picked  her  up  and  took her  into  a  bathroom  stall. His  friend, David  Cash, who is  also  white,  entered the restroom, tilted his  head  over  the  bathroom  stall  and  saw  Strohmeyer  sexually  attacking  Sherrice  while saying  "Shut up  or  I'll  kill  you". He  asked  Strohmeyer  to  stop (once)  but  Strohmeyer  ignored  his  request. David  Cash  then  left the restroom  without  alerting  authorities  or  forcefully  stopping  Strohmeyer.

25  minutes  later, Strohmeyer  left  the restoom  alone. Cash  asked  "what  happened". Strohmeyer   replied "I  killed  her". The  only  thing  Cash  wanted  to know  about the attack  is  if Sherrice  was  "wet"  when  Strohmeyer  touched  her  vagina. Strohmeyer  replied  saying the  child had   bled  from  her vagina  as  he  "fingered her". He  later  told  Cash  that  he  had  strangled  her, but she  was still breathing, he  snapped  her  neck, she was still alive, than  he twisted  her  neck  around  until  he  heard  a  loud  pop.

The  two  heartless  men  left the casino  and headed  to their  home  towns, Long Beach, California.

After  bragging  about  the murder  to  the students  at his school, Strohmeyer  was  arrested and  charged with  two counts  of  rape, kidnap  and  murder. He  avoided  the  death  penalty  by  pleading  guilty. He  was  sentenced to  life  in  prison  without  parole, a perfect  sentence  for  a killer  so  young.

During Sherrice's funeral on May 31, 1997, at Paradise Baptist Church, her father and mother sat apart. They have not spoken to each other since their daughter's death.  "Jesus, no! Jesus, no,"her mother cried as she was led out. Yolanda has moved into her own apartment. She sometimes dreams about Sherrice. In one dream, Sherrice is lying on a closet shelf, wearing pajamas. She kisses her mother and says, "Hi, Mommy, I'm back."

Although  David Cash  did  what  is  legally  considered  an  accessory  to  a  crime, he was never  arrested. This  caused  nationwide  outrage  and  media  frenzy. More  than  a  year  later, the  "Sherrice  Iverson's  Bill"  was  passed. This bill requires  adults  who  witnesses  sex  abuse on  minors under  the  age  fourteen  to  report  it  or  spend  six  months  in jail. The weakest  bill you've ever heard of huh?

Little Sherrice, is  remembered  as  an  honor student  whose favorite colors were pink, yellow and purple. Teachers thought of her as affectionate and trusting. Her hair was neatly braided. Her clothes looked freshly ironed. She struggled with reading, was scared of the dark, adored "The Little Mermaid," and liked to jump rope. She wanted to be a nurse or a policewoman or a model or a dancer.

Her  case  still  echos  in  the  nation. Her  death  shattered  her  family; left her mother broken-hearted, sickened  her father who later  died, and  destroyed  her  brother's  life  with  guilt  and  remorse. Heartbreaking  isn't  it?

Poem for Sherrice

See a collection of graphics I dedicate to Sherrice      Angel graphic by Crimeshots