Cherie Michelle Payseur, a 24-year-old white female, was tragically murdered on April 27, 1991, in Riverside County, California. Born on November 7, 1966, in Fontana, California, Cherie had attended the California School for the Deaf in Riverside. She was never married and was the mother of one child. To support herself and her child, she worked intermittently as a cleaning woman.
Unfortunately, she also struggled with substance abuse, which led her into vulnerable circumstances.
Cherie Michelle Payseur became one of the known victims of serial killer William Lester Suff, infamously dubbed the “Riverside Prostitute Killer” or the “Lake Elsinore Killer.” Suff targeted women—many of whom were sex workers—across Riverside County during a killing spree that spanned from 1986 to 1991. His victims were often found in remote or public locations, and many had been subjected to brutal violence, including strangulation, stabbing, and post-mortem mutilation.
Cherie Michelle Payseur’s body was discovered in Riverside, and her death was later linked to Suff through investigative efforts. Her murder was part of a broader pattern of killings that terrorized the region. William Suff was eventually arrested in January 1992 and later convicted of multiple counts of murder. In 1995, he was sentenced to death for his crimes.
The case of Cherie Michelle Payseur, a 24-year-old white female, remains a stark reminder of the dangers faced by vulnerable women and the devastating impact of serial violence. Her name is among those remembered as part of a tragic chapter in California’s criminal history.
