Desperate to replace money that she had allegedly stolen from three friends by lying to them and saying she had bought plane tickets for their daughters to travel with her to Florida, a 47-year-old woman went to the Promenade on the Peninsula in Rolling Hills Estates to find a vulnerable victim, which ended up being a 66-year-old retired nurse, prosecutors said during closing arguments of her trial Wednesday, Dec. 3.

Cherie Lynnettee Townsend is charged with murder in the May 3, 2018 stabbing death of Susan Leeds of Rancho Palos Verdes, who was found bloodied and with 17 stab wounds, including having her throat slashed, in her SUV inside the parking structure.

Jurors were handed the case at the end of the day and were to return to Torrance Superior Court Thursday morning to begin delib

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