O’Fallon police identify woman who was burned to death, seek husband for questioning
Police responded to a homicide early Monday morning near the Family Sports Park in O’Fallon, where a woman had been set on fire.
St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr. identified the victim as Sherry Billups, 35, of the 600 block of West Madison in O’Fallon. Billups was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:37 a.m.
Police were searching for Billups’ husband, Andrew Montez McKissick, 36, who investigators said is a suspect in the case. Police said he may be driving in a 1999-2002 Chevrolet Extended Cab Truck. He is wanted for questioning regarding the investigation. He was captured late Monday night, according to O’Fallon police.
Police Chief Eric Van Hook said the department had been called to the residence on West Madison for domestic issues on more than one occasion and said Billups’ husband was recently paroled, but could not specify what crime he had committed in the past.
Van Hook added that he is considered armed and dangerous and asked that anyone who sees McKissick not approach him and instead call the police.
Police responded to the scene near West Madison and Obernuefemann Road around 7:25 a.m. for a call of a vehicle fire. At the scene, they found the woman outside the vehicle and on fire. Several citizens stopped to help the woman but were unable to save her.
Fairview Heights and another local mobile task force are assisting the police department.
Van Hook said police are currently interviewing witnesses and family members to put pieces together in the investigation. He said they believe the woman who was killed knew her assailant.
Van Hook added that the citizens who stopped to help the woman were “heroes.”
A neighbor, who lives across the street and asked not to be identified for safety reasons, said that couple kept to themselves. Another neighbor said they had lived there for about a year, but had been moving things out of the house recently.
A man who lives nearby said a SWAT team forcibly entered the home after Billups was killed.
Police are asking for any information or witnesses or anyone on foot in the area possibly fleeing from the area to contact the O’Fallon Police.
This story was originally published April 22, 2019 at 10:53 AM.
