A Los Angeles County jury has finally delivered justice in the 2018 murder of retired nurse Susan Leeds, convicting Cherie Lynnette Townsend, 47, of first-degree murder in a case that was plagued for years by investigative paralysis, public pressure, and politically charged distractions that stalled accountability.
Leeds, a 66-year-old grandmother and beloved family matriarch, was stabbed 17 times inside her white Mercedes-Benz SUV on May 3, 2018, in the parking garage of the Promenade on the Peninsula mall in Rolling Hills Estates. Jurors found that Townsend personally used a knife in the attack, exposing her to 26 years to life in prison when she is sentenced on Jan. 23.
Leeds’ family, who packed the courtroom for the verdict, has waited nearly seven years for justice for a woman remembered as a devoted nurse, a caregiver, and the emotional center of a large and loving family.
Early Investigation Clouded by Racial Politics
In the immediate aftermath of the murder, investigators briefly detained Jeffrey Leyson, a 62-year-old Caucasian transient who frequented the mall. Leyson was labeled a “person of interest” and publicly handcuffed as he insisted on his innocence while bystanders watched.
At the time, police said Leyson loosely matched a general description of a man seen near Leeds’ vehicle on surveillance footage. The optics of the detention quickly ignited speculation and racial undertones that threatened to hijack the investigation before the evidence had been fully analyzed.
Facts soon intervened.
Science over narrative
Forensic testing, including DNA analysis of blood found on Leyson’s jeans, conclusively proved the blood was his own and not connected to the murder. Surveillance footage also confirmed he was not involved in the attack.
By May 10, 2018, authorities publicly cleared Leyson and removed him as a person of interest.
But the damage was done. Public attention had shifted away from the victim and toward a racially charged storyline that diverted focus from the brutal killing of a defenseless elderly woman.
Justice Delayed, Then Politicized
Townsend was initially arrested in connection with the murder, only to have charges dropped days later while prosecutors claimed further investigation was needed. That decision allowed the case to drift and emboldened Townsend, a black woman, to file a federal civil rights lawsuit against Los Angeles County, accusing law enforcement of misconduct while the Leeds family mourned without answers.
Townsend’s lawsuit was later dismissed, but justice had now been diverted away from the original tragedy for years.
Only after renewed investigative efforts was Townsend re-arrested in August 2023 by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Fugitive Unit, finally placing the case back on track.
A Murder, Not an Ideological Moment
Prosecutors argued Townsend attacked Leeds during a robbery attempt, stabbing her repeatedly as the retired nurse fought desperately for her life. Evidence showed clear defensive wounds.
A separate robbery charge was dropped due to the statute of limitations, a technicality that did not sway jurors from holding Townsend accountable for murder.
The jury deliberated less than a day.
A family still grieving
For Leeds’ family, the verdict brings a measure of closure but not relief. They spoke of missed birthdays, empty holidays, and the absence of a woman whose life was dedicated to caring for others.
This case stands as a grim reminder of what happens when identity politics, optics, and ideological pressure threaten to override evidence, victims, and truth. A retired nurse was killed in broad daylight, and justice was delayed while narratives competed for attention.
On Thursday, a jury cut through the noise.
Susan Leeds is finally being remembered not as a statistic or a talking point, but as a victim whose life mattered.
