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Mom Found Guilty in Parking Lot Slaying for Cheer Funds
8 Dec, 2025
Summary
- Mother convicted of first-degree murder in May 2018 killing.
- Victim was fatally stabbed 17 times in a mall parking structure.
- Motive was to fund daughter's cheerleading competition costs.
A mother of two, Cherie Townsend, was found guilty of first-degree murder for the 2018 slaying of retired nurse Susan Leeds. Leeds was fatally stabbed 17 times in a Rolling Hills Estates, California, shopping mall parking structure. Prosecutors contended the murder was an attempted robbery to secure funds for Townsend's daughter's cheerleading competition.
Townsend maintained her innocence for years, even suing the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department after her initial arrest and subsequent release. She claimed her cellphone, found near the crime scene, was the only link, but prosecutors presented evidence from re-interviewed and new witnesses.
The trial concluded with a guilty verdict, and Townsend's sentencing is set for January 23, 2026. The victim's family expressed their devastation over the brutal nature of the crime and the loss of a kind individual.
