WV WV - Cherice Gwinn-Stephens, 23, Beckley, 1 Oct 1993

[mikkismom]

Family still holds out hope in the search for missing family member, 20 years later

http://www.wvnstv.com/story/24410339/family-still-holds-out-hope-in-the-search-for

 

[mikkismom]

W.Va. woman who vanished in 1993 declared dead

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/may/7/wva-woman-who-vanished-in-1993-declared-dead/

 

[Houston Mom]

NamUs profile 4 star, DNA complete, dentals, fingerprints available.

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/9358/3/

 

[No Stone Unturned]

Seriously, how can they say that they exhausted all leads if they didn't pull up the blacktop??

 

[Houston Mom]

Before tearing up the asphalt, one may try ground penetrating radar. Tim Miller with Texas Equusearch was recently able to find remains under a cement slab.

 

[Shadow205]

Why hasn't the search been done? Here are a couple of pictures of the property.

 

[Shadow205]

"Cherice Gwinn Stephens was married to Norman Stephens, and they lived in the Bolt area of Raleigh County. He says Cherice dropped him off at work in a 1993 white Dodge Daytona."

Was her vehicle ever located?

http://www.wvnstv.com/story/24410339/family-still-holds-out-hope-in-the-search-for

 

[Sunshine95]

Out of curiosity, what would the penalty be if someone were to drive a piece of machinery there in the middle of the night and dig up the asphalt? There has got to be something there!

 

[Shadow205]

Out of curiosity, what would the penalty be if someone were to drive a piece of machinery there in the middle of the night and dig up the asphalt? There has got to be something there!

"Rick Snuffer, president of the trustees for the church says he would be willing to consider some type of search, if efforts were headed up by state police troopers and if some sort of legal document were sent in by family members.

Sergeant D.W. Bennet with West Virginia State Police says troopers will do a search, if the church gives consent.

Gwinn Stephens' brother says he plans to submit a legal document to church leaders, saying family members will pay for the entire search, and have licensed and insured workers search and restore the property."

We will continue to follow this story on 59 News.


http://www.wvnstv.com/story/24410339/family-still-holds-out-hope-in-the-search-for

Ok so what is the hold up now? Is everyone following through with what they said they would do in this article? Perhaps it is time for a followup by WVNS?

 

[miamaia]

Bumping for Cherice. I'm from the area and the mother of one of my high school friends was friends with Cherice. She posted something about the case and of course I had to come right here to look. As of November 2015 the church was still refusing to help, which has ruffled a lot of feathers.

Also, her brother Tommy has put up this website for her.

I haven't seen an answer, so I'll restate an ealier question - What the heck happened to her car?

Was it or wasn't it sold after her death? If it was sold, who found it (and when/where) and why is that information not included in any of the reports on her disappearance?

Unfortunately, I think it's obvious to all of us what happened here.

ETA Information from the website her brother put together:

"This case is being investigated as a homicide. If you have ANY information pertaining to the aforementioned facts or circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Cherice Gwinn, even background information that you may not think is important, her family urges you to contact CRIME STOPPERS at 304-255-STOP (7867). The investigating officers are West Virginia State Police F/Sgt. D. L. Bowles at 304-647-7600 and Sgt. G. D. Williams at 304-256-6700.

PLEASE HELP THE GWINN FAMILY HAVE SOME CLOSURE ABOUT THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THEIR LOVED ONE. IF YOUR TIP ABOUT CHERICE GWINN LEADS POLICE TO MAKE AN ARREST, you will receive a minimum cash reward of $1,000.00 and up to $5,000.00 cash reward, depending on how helpful your information is to the solving of the case."

 

[miamaia]

Just popping back in to add some photos that I found online relating to the case. She was such a beautiful young woman.

 

[miamaia]

[video=youtube;n9pwFx28uX0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9pwFx28uX0&feature=youtu.be[/video]

Local video news segment about her - looks to be from 2008 (they mention the 15th anniversary of her disappearance). Her brother is in it.

 

[bazookaman286]

this helped me with a school project

 

[Al Ka]

Angela Cherice Gwinn-Stephens

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/s/stephens_angela.html

Cherice Gwinn (Stephens) went missing between September 29th and October 1, 1993. She was not reported missing until September, 1994. At the time of her disappearance, Cherice Gwinn was married to Norman Stephens. The couple resided in a small residence on the Harmon property on Brackenridge Road in the Bolt area of Raleigh County.

At the time of her disappearance, Cherice was a student at The College of WV (Beckley College). She enjoyed fitness and was a member of the L.A. East Gym in Beckley. Prior to her disappearance she worked at Spartan Sporting Goods in Beckley.

Cherice drove a 1993 white Dodge Daytona (pictured). This vehicle disappeared the same time as Cherice. The vehicle mysteriously reappeared a month later. Any additional information relating to the storage or transport of this vehicle during the fall of 1993 is of vital importance.

The last person to have seen Cherice alive was her husband, Norman Stephens. Only weeks after her disappearance, Norman Stephens filed for divorce. The divorce was final on Valentines Day, 1994. Norman Stephens never reported Cherice missing and has never fully cooperated with the police. In the years following her disappearance, Norman Stephens refused to talk to Cherice`s family members despite multiple requests.

At the time of her disappearance, Norman Stephens worked for UPS. Shortly after her disappearance, he moved to Cherry Hill Apartments in the Beaver area of Raleigh County. Additionally, in the years immediately following Cherice`s disappearance, Norman Stephens closely associated with Benjamin Williams, who, like Norman, was a graduate of Independence High School Other associates at the time included Robert Miller (a high school friend who had joined the USAF and was living in Texas and/or North Carolina) and his coworkers from the Beckley UPS.

This case is being investigated as a homicide. If you have ANY information pertaining to the aforementioned facts or circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Cherice Gwinn, even background information that you may not think is important, her family urges you to contact CRIME STOPPERS at 304-255-STOP (7867). The investigating officers are West Virginia State Police F/Sgt. D. L. Bowles at 304-647-7600 and Sgt. G. D. Williams at 304-256-6700.

http://www.crimestoppersofraleighcounty.org/misc.aspx?p=1

 

[Al Ka]

FB page dedicated to Cherice - https://www.facebook.com/groups/425238897493931/

Topix pages about her
http://www.topix.com/forum/city/bec...D/cherice-stephens-unsolved-murder-conspiracy
http://www.topix.com/forum/city/bolt-wv/T5DJRPQFSHRJB87DL/does-anyone-know-anything-about-my-friend
http://www.topix.com/forum/city/crab-orchard-wv/T5IP0CNSH64QT8F6U

Additional information and old articles - https://projectjason.org/forums/top...ed-angela-cherice-gwinn-stephens-wv-10011993/

Page by her family - http://findangelachericegwinnstephens.yolasite.com/contact-us.php

WV Trooper Jerry Brooks along with numerous officers and 13 cadaver dogs searched the 98 acre family farm in 1997. The dogs hit inside an old cellar/shack right behind Cherice and Normans home. Troopers dug it up but found nothing which has led family and friends to believe that she could have been put there for a short period of time and then later moved to another location.

But the most questionable event surrounding this case involves the Breckenridge Missionary Baptist Church in Bolt WV which is just a rocks throw away from Norman Stephens family farm. At the time of Cherice’s disappearance the church was in the process of constructing a new addition onto the original building. Due to suspicious behavior from certain individuals and circumstances surrounding a personal investigation conducted by some of Cherice's family members suggested that there may be clues to Cherice's disappearance in the old septic tank that was blacktopped over and is now used as part of the churches parking lot. Cherice's family and friends asked the good people of the church to help them by allowing professionals and authorities to search the old septic tank at the families expense. Many of the church members were willing to help but after a private closed-door meeting between board members, pastor Dewey Lowe and head trustee Tom Harmon, who is also related to Norman Stephens and lives on the same family farm denied Cherice's family permission and stated "They'll need a warrant".

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Family receives permission to dig up church parking lot for missing woman

http://www.wvva.com/story/36395064/2017/09/18/family-receives-permission-to-dig-up-church-parking-lot-in-search-for-missing-woman

The family of a missing Raleigh County woman was given permission to conduct an organized dig at a church parking lot on Monday.

They were looking for Cherise Gwinn Stephens who went missing from the area in 1993. With police supervision, investigators attempted to locate the woman in an old septic tank beneath a Bolt Church.

But on Monday, Stephen's family said the search had turned up nothing.

"Thank you to the Church. The search continues but I appreciate all they've done. The support has been unreal," said Tommy Gwinn, Stephen's brother. "Thank you for the phone calls, friends, and letters. I appreciate everybody's help."

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

http://www.wearewvproud.com/story/36405648/state-troopers-search-for-leads-in-24-year-old-cold-case

The dig was supervised by troopers with the West Virginia State Police. While there was no evidence found in the tank, State Troopers confirm that investigators did find an item inside. That item was taken to the State Police lab in Charleston for further evaluation. There is no word on whether or not the item is connected to the cold case.

http://www.register-herald.com/news/search-of-church-property-offers-no-clues-to-gwinn-s/article_829e737e-d8fc-5304-b7ec-add0c0b00b2e.html

The search was carried out Monday by contractors while West Virginia State Police were present, but Gwinn said the search did not answer questions about Cherice’s disappearance.

“We would thank the BMBC for letting this go forward — just another potential place illuminated,” Gwinn said following the search. “This was not our first search and will not be our last.

“This is the end of a chapter and the beginning of another.”

For 12 years, Gwinn family members had asked the church for permission to search the property. They believed there could be clues to Cherice’s disappearance on the church property.

 

[No Stone Unturned]

Hope they keep looking. They lived on a 98 acre farm so there is still a lot of places.

 

[CastlesBurning]

Episode 82: Angela "Cherice" Gwinn-Stephens (The Investigation) Killer's Crawlspace podcast

 

[Garriga]

She is a beautiful girl and very photogenic. And so young and full of life. The heart aches for Cherice. Her family and friends and community are suffering from this tragedy. I know this need for closure and with it comes grief, guilt, Untamed emotions and a void begging to be filled. It’s restlessness and Dreamless.

My thoughts and prayers are with Cherice and her loved ones. Even when there’s nothing left, you will always have hope.