Man charged in the slaying of southwest Illinois mother of eight children

A man accused in the April 20 shooting death of a Cahokia Heights woman was arrested Friday morning in East St. Louis, authorities said.

Cedric Allen, Jr., 29, of the 3200 block of Oliver Street in East St. Louis, is charged with first -degree murder in the slaying of Camesha McCline, 33.

McCline was found shot to death at 29th and Illinois streets in East St. Louis on April 20. The mother of eight children had left her Cahokia Heights home on Delores Street to go to the store but never returned.

Police did not say what connection Allen has to McCline nor did they release any information on a motive.

The East St. Louis Police Department, the East St. Louis Housing Authority and the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Allen in the Roosevelt Homes in the 1300 block of N. 44th Street, East St. Louis Police Chief Kendall Perry said.

Allen is being held in the St. Clair County Jail. Bond was set at $1 million.

Perry said police could not release any other details.

The chief said when crimes are committed in East St. Louis, officers will continue looking for perpetrators until they are caught, with the public’s help.

He said he wants anyone who sees anything that doesn’t look right or anyone who sees a crime going down to call police.

“We all have to work together to make our neighborhoods safe,” Perry said.

Family had appealed for public’s help

In April, shortly after McCline’s slaying, her family appealed to the public for help.

In interviews with the BND at the time, family members said they couldn’t imagine who would want to harm her.

``She was a sweet person. She was the life of the party, a loving mother, who really took care of her children,” said her aunt, Dana Crosby, who spoke for the family.“She was outgoing and was always smiling. We loved that smile.”

McCline’s children range in age from 2 to 14. Her two youngest are twins - a boy and a girl, Crosby said.

Crosby said McCline was last seen by family members when she left her Cahokia Heights home to go to the store. ”She was in a car,” Crosby said.

Crosby said she got a phone call later that day from someone she knew who told her that police had found a woman’s body and asked her to call Camesha. She was unable to reach her. She knew it was her loved one when she learned the female’s body had tattoos with the names of two of McCline’s children.