Twice the Horror: Cheryl Edwards and Charlita Singleton

In this episode of Hunting 4 Answers: In November 1996, Cheryl Edwards and Charlita Singleton were brutally murdered inside a mall store in Chesterfield County, Virginia. The case shocked the Richmond community — and nearly three decades later, it remains unsolved.
Who killed them... and why? 

This is the story of Cheryl Edwards and Charlita Singleton. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hunting for Answers is a production of the Black Effect
Podcast Network and iHeartRadio. Welcome to Hunting for Answers, a
true crime podcast. I'm your host Hunter, and today we're
highlighting a case that happened in Chesterfield County, Virginia, back
in November nineteen ninety six. This double murder shocked the

(00:23):
Richmond community and left two families devastated when two women
were brutally stabbed to death inside a dollar store at
a local shopping mall. Nearly three decades later, their case
remains unsolved, with no arrests ever being made. This is

(00:44):
the story of Cheryl Edwards and Charliita Singleton. In November
nineteen ninety six, Cheryl Edwards was just twenty five years
old and Charlida Singleton was thirty six years old. Both
women were working and building their lives, and at the

(01:05):
time of their murders, they both worked at the All
for One dollar store, located inside Cloverleaf Mall in Chesterfield County, Virginia.
Cloverleaf Mall was Chesterfield's oldest shopping center, a place where
families came to shop, teenagers hung out, and community members gathered.

(01:30):
It was the kind of place that felt safe, familiar,
just like your average mall. November sixth, nineteen ninety six,
started like any other Wednesday for the two women. They
arrived at work at the mall, likely handling the various
routine tasks of the day. As the evening approached and

(01:52):
the mall prepared to close, Something went terribly wrong that evening,
and neither woman would make it home to their family links.
When Cheryl and Charlita failed to return home that night,
their loved ones knew that something wasn't right. These were
responsible women who wouldn't just disappear without a word. The

(02:14):
next morning, November seventh, nineteen ninety six, their worst fears
were confirmed. Both women were found dead inside the All
for One store near the back door. They had been
stabbed to death in what investigators would later describe as
one of Chesterfield County's grisliest murders. The scene was devastating.

(02:41):
Two women who had simply been trying to do their
jobs had been brutally killed. The murders sent shockwaves through
the entire Richmond area. Cloverleaf Mall, once a very bustling hub,
was now carrying the weight of this senseless tragedy. Regulars

(03:03):
who had shopped at the mall for years, suddenly saw
it differently. The police investigation began immediately, but from the
start leads were scarce. Who would want to harm a
couple of women working at the dollar store. Was it
a robbery gone wrong, a random act of violence, or

(03:27):
something more targeted. The location of the bodies near the
back door suggested that the killer may have been familiar
with the stoor's layout, or perhaps the attack occurred as
the women were trying to escape. As days turned into weeks,
in weeks and two months, the investigation continued but produced

(03:51):
no arrests. Detectives interviewed witnesses, examined evidence, and followed every
lead that they could find. The families of Cheryl Edwards
and Charlita Singleton waited for answers that unfortunately never came.
They watched as the case grew cold, but for those

(04:13):
who loved Cheryl and Charlita, the pain never faded. They
had lost daughters, sisters, friends, women they genuinely loved and
cared for. Among those seeking answers was Cheryl Edwards's niece,
Jamika Adkins. She was just fourteen when her aunt was murdered,

(04:36):
but the impact of that loss would stay with her
for decades. Jamika never forgot her aunt, Cheryl, and as
she grew into adulthood, she became determined to find answers
for her family. She reached out to the media, kept
her aunt's story alive, and refused to let the case

(04:57):
be forgotten, with the belief that someday, somehow, justice will
be served. During the time, the murders didn't just devastate
two families, they changed the entire community around Cloverleaf matt
What had once been Chesterfield's premier shopping destination began to

(05:20):
decline slowly, and this happened before the murders actually took place.
The brutal murders only accelerated the mall's downfall. Shoppers stayed away,
no one wanted to work there, stores closed, and the
once thriving shopping center became a shadow of its former self.

(05:44):
It was later demolished and turned into Stonebridge Shopping Center
in two thousand and four, eight years after the murder,
investigators briefly thought that they had uncovered new leagues. There
was a moment of hope perhaps the case would finally
be solved, but unfortunately, those leads led nowhere, the brief

(06:11):
flicker of progress faded and the case returned to its
cold status. For the families, this was just another crushing disappointment.
As the years continued to pass, the case remained unsolved.
Detectives retired, new investigators took over, but the murders of

(06:33):
Sheryl Edwards and Charlita Singleton have remained a mystery that
meant that somewhere the assailant walked free. Someone who had
taken two lives and forever changed multiple families and an
entire community had never been held accountable. It's a painful

(06:55):
reality for thousands of cold cases across the country, victim
who deserve justice, families who deserve answers, in cases that
deserve to be solved. Today, nearly three decades after the murders,
the families are still trying to reignite the urgency behind

(07:18):
this double homicide. Advances in DNA technology and forensic science
offer new hope for cold cases like this one. Evidence
that couldn't be processed in nineteen ninety six might yield
crucial information today, But for now, the case remains unsolved,

(07:38):
in waiting for the breakthrough that could finally bring justice
for Cheryl Edwards and Charlotta Singleton. If Cheryl Edwards were
alive today, she would be fifty three years old. Charlia
Singleton would be sixty four. My thoughts in prayers are

(07:58):
with the families of both Cheryl and Charlita. I hope
one day their loved ones are able to get the
closure they deserve and secure justice. Anyone with information about
this case too contact the Chesterfield County Police Department. You
can find their contact information in the description box below.

(08:20):
Even the smallest piece of information could be the key
to finally solving this cold case. As we close out
this episode, don't forget to hit the follow button to
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(08:40):
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We'd love to hear from you. Thank you so much
for joining us on another episode. Until next time. Hunting

(09:21):
for Answers is a production of the Black Effect Podcast Network.
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