"A 47-year-old woman was convicted of murder Thursday, Dec. 4, in the stabbing death of a retired nurse inside the parking structure of a Rolling Hills Estates mall more than seven years ago. After hours of deliberation, jurors found Cherie Lynnette Townsend guilty of first-degree murder in the May 3, 2018 slaying of 66-year-old Susan Leeds of Rancho Palos Verdes, who was stabbed 17 times and had her throat slashed."
"Prosecutors, showing Google searches, text messages and notes on Townsend's phone, argued that Townsend killed because she was desperate for money she needed to send her and her daughter to Florida for her daughter's cheer competition and argued that she searched and went to the mall looking for a vulnerable victim."
"That same morning, Townsend made Google searches for Promenade on the Peninsula and whether an Equinox gym was at the mall. In the days leading up to the murder, she had texted her son's former football coach about getting a fake ID and had Google searched, among other things, whether Walmart would check ID if presented a credit card for a purchase."
Cherie Lynnette Townsend was convicted Dec. 4 of first-degree murder for the May 3, 2018 slaying of 66-year-old Susan Leeds in a mall parking structure. Leeds was stabbed 17 times and had her throat slashed. Prosecutors presented Google searches, text messages and phone notes indicating Townsend was financially desperate and sought money to send her daughter to a cheer competition, and that she searched for the mall and possible victims. Defense counsel argued there was no direct physical evidence tying Townsend to the killing—no DNA, fingerprints, witnesses or video—and said investigators did not pursue other leads.
Read at www.dailybreeze.com
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