That murder was close. I worked at that mall, usually in the children's section, just inside the doors from the kind of isolated parking lot where she was killed. Fortunately I was not working that night. After the murder fear pervaded the atmosphere in that mall, Forum 303, just like at Seminary South after the girls vanished. To this day I'm not sure what the motive was, but she was stabbed repeatedly, many times in a public place, which wasn't quick like a gunshot death. To be mad enough to throw caution to the winds and perform a somewhat drawn out multiple stabbing would indicate great anger. Revenge? (For what pray tell, by all accounts she was a sweet girl!). Her bf posted on the sign at the DQ where he worked, "I love you, Cheryl!"
Another employee was murdered a few months later by stabbing, only at a different location, at the perp's home, some bs about bad acid and the Exorcist movie.
Connection between these two or the girls' disappearance? Maybe, if drugs were involved.
