In a tragic turn of events that shook the community of Staunton, Virginia, 22-year-old Rasheda L. Alestock was found deceased in her home on Sunday, September 16, 2012. A Black female, Alestock was discovered in her third-floor bedroom at 9 Bolton Place in Fishersville, having been fatally shot while she was apparently asleep in her bed. The Augusta County Sheriff's Office investigated the scene and determined that her death was the result of a murder-suicide.
Also found at the residence
was Alestock's 23-year-old roommate, Regina Claud, who was discovered at the bottom of the stairwell leading to Alestock's bedroom. She too had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Investigators reported that both women were killed with a semiautomatic handgun. The incident was characterized as being domestic in nature, although the specific details of the relationship between the two women were not made clear. At the time of the shootings, four of the five people who lived in the townhouse were present. Despite the presence of others in the home, a definitive motive for the tragic events remained undetermined by the sheriff's office.
Rasheda Alestock was remembered as a dedicated and hardworking individual. She had been an employee at Burger King since she was 15, working her way up to the position of assistant manager. In addition to her work, she was a senior majoring in business administration at Bridgewater College. The college community mourned her loss and held a memorial service in her honor, also offering counseling services to students and faculty affected by the tragedy. A funeral service for Rasheda was held on Friday, September 21, 2012, in the chapel of Kenneth L. Jones Funeral Home in Staunton, with her burial at St. Paul's Cemetery in Steeles Tavern, Virginia.
