Police capture husband of O’Fallon woman who died after being lit on fire

Andrew Montez McKissick is in police custody a day after his wife died after being set on fire.

McKissick, of O’Fallon, was captured at 11:05 p.m. without incident by Memphis, Tennessee, police. He remains in Tennessee awaiting extradition.

On Monday, Sherry Billups, 35 of O’Fallon, died after being set on fire near the Family Sports Park. Police received the call at 7:23 a.m. Monday morning and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said several people had tried to help the victim.

At the time, O’Fallon Director of Public Safety Eric Van Hook said several police agencies were working together to find McKissick, the victim’s husband.

McKissick has a criminal past, according to St. Clair County Circuit Court records.

On February 3, 2010, McKissick was indicted by a grand jury for unlawful restraint. The charging document said he detained a woman on the parking lot of the Caseyville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center at 601 West Lincoln. McKissick placed his arms around the victim’s chest and restrained her from moving.

On April 16, 2007 he plead guilty to aggravated battery causing harm to a police officer. The offense occurred on Mach 16, 2007. He was sentenced to three years for aggravated battery. St. Clair county Court records say McKissick kicked a sheriff’s deputy and caused injury while the deputy was trying to arrest him. At that time, the court also recommended drug treatment for McKissick.

On Feb. 10, 2002, while he was a resident of 452 n. 81st Street in East St. Louis, McKissick was charged with aggravated battery with a firearm for shooting two Alorton men. That was reduced to aggravated discharge of a firearm. He was sentenced on January 23, 2004 to 10 years in a state prison.

Billups worked for the US Postal Service.

This story was originally published April 23, 2019 at 8:24 AM.