A California woman is awaiting sentencing after a jury found her guilty of stabbing a retired nurse in her car. The woman, Cherie Townsend, has maintained that she was innocent of the 2018 killing, going so far as to sue Los Angeles County for arresting her without significant evidence. Townsend, who authorities believe committed the killing because she was desperate for cash, has been in and out of prison and court as a result of the alleged murder. But now, it seems that her journey has come to an end. In addition, she will likely end up behind bars for a long time.
On December 4, 2025, Townsend, now 47, was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of 66-year-old retired nurse Susan Leeds, NBC 4 reported. Leeds was found stabbed to death in her SUV on the first floor of the parking garage at the Promenade on the Peninsula on May 3, 2018. According to a deputy medical examiner who testified during a 2024 hearing, the woman was stabbed 17 times in the neck and upper body.
Townsend was arrested in May 2018 but was released five days later after prosecutors asked law enforcement to conduct further investigations. In November 2018, the woman sued Los Angeles County among others. She cited false imprisonment, defamation, emotional distress, negligence, and civil rights violations.
Townsend was re-arrested in 2023 and has been in jail ever since, the outlet shared. The civil lawsuit she filed was dismissed shortly after her arrest.
According to the district attorneys, Townsend killed Leeds as a result of a robbery. Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Chung told jurors “all of the evidence points to the defendant,” per NBC 4. However, defense attorney Elizabeth Landgraf countered, saying, “Ms. Townsend did not kill Susan Leeds … I don’t know who killed her … It was certainly not Cherie Townsend.”
The only solid evidence found was Townsend’s phone under the driver’s side of Leeds’ car. Townsend did acknowledge that she was at the same shopping center as Leeds, but she said she was there to shop for her son. She admitted she had lost her phone but had no idea how it ended up under the car.
Sheriff’s Homicide Detective Louie Aguilera spoke with the general manager of the cheerleading team Townsend’s daughter was part of. The manager said the mom had to pay with cash or cashier’s check after bouncing checks. One of the other team moms testified that costs for the team could be between $10,000 and $25,000.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Townsend needed to come up with $2,000 to send her daughter to a cheerleading competition in Florida.
After the guilty verdict, Leeds’ stepson Fred Leeds spoke with KTLA. “I want to first start out by thanking the police and sheriff’s department in the pursuit of this murder,” He said. “She didn’t have to be murdered for her purse.”
He added that “many lives were impacted by this murder,” before calling his former stepmother “a kind human being that would have done anything for anyone.”
Cherie Townsend could spend 26 years to life in state prison. Sentencing will take place on January 23, 2026.
