In a case that’s rocked quiet Rolling Hills Estates, California, a mother desperate for cash to fund her daughter’s cheerleading dreams will now be heading behind bars for murder. Cherie Townsend, 47, was convicted last Thursday on a first-degree murder charge, bringing a brutal seven-year saga to a close.
The deadly encounter happened back on May 3, 2018, in the parking structure of the upscale Promenade on the Peninsula mall. Prosecutors say Townsend stabbed 66-year-old Susan Leeds a shocking 17 times in broad daylight, snuffing out the retired nurse’s life in a frantic bid to steal enough money for her daughter’s competition fees. Leeds was found slumped in her white Mercedes SUV, pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene.
Townsend’s name first entered the investigation when authorities discovered her cellphone lying underneath Leeds’ vehicle — a detail that Townsend herself claims was a freak accident. She always protested her innocence, even launching a federal lawsuit against Los Angeles County in October 2018. Her claims — that she was unfairly targeted and smeared by law enforcement, who she accused of racial profiling and causing emotional harm — never held up in court and the suit was ultimately thrown out.
The investigation was anything but straightforward. Townsend was initially arrested on May 17, 2018, but the case wasn’t immediately sealed — prosecutors sent it back for more digging. Years later, in July 2022, a new team took over and re-examined the evidence, reigniting the hunt for justice.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department detailed the twists and turns, confirming that deputies arrived to find Leeds fatally wounded and began chasing leads immediately. With Townsend’s cell phone at the scene, detectives zeroed in. Ultimately, Townsend’s selfish quest for cheerleading cash ended in tragedy for the Leeds family — and now, it’s landed Townsend in prison.
