On Friday, October 1, 1993 Angela Cherice Gwinn Stephens, better known to her friends and family as Cherice, drove her husband, Norman, to work at 209 George Street (UPS) in Beckley, WV. On the surface, nothing would appear out of the ordinary, however at the conclusion of the work day, Cherice was nowhere to be seen. Norman Stephens, caught a ride home with a co-worker according to reports. When he arrived home, Cherice as well as the couple’s white 1993 Dodge Daytona, were notably absent. Cherice had left. Or at least that is what Norman Stephens would have you think…
Cherice Gwinn was born on June 27, 1970 to Thomas and Sherry Gwinn. Cherice was described as very outgoing as well as a perfectionist. She was a majorette and was voted “Best Dressed” in her senior superlatives. After graduation, Cherice moved to Durham, NC however, the move didn’t last long and she returned to the mountain state only 5 months later. Ultimately Cherice began work at Spartans Sporting Goods at the Crossroads Mall in Beckley. It is here, in October of 1991 that she meets Norman Stephens. It was Halloween and Norman, who had been at the store making a delivery, was awestruck by the pretty girl dressed up as Dolly Parton.
Their relationship was a bit of a whirlwind, with the two tying the knot in Pearisburg, VA within 7 months of that first meeting on May 2, 1992. The two settled down in a small house in Bolt, WV that sat on a 98 acre farm (belonging to Norman’s family). There is not much information regarding Cherice and Normans relationship but it is important to note that during the span of time that they were together, Cherice began to withdraw from her friends. She also had quit her job at Spartans within the year and had dropped out of school.
There are several questions I would like to raise regarding Normans actions following Cherice’s “departure.”
How would Norman have known that Cherice had “left” him right away? And why were Cherice’s parents not notified immediately when Cherice failed to show up and was not at home? It would be several days before Norman would call the Gwinn family to tell them that Cherice had left him. Norman claims that Cherice later called him from an “undisclosed location out of state” and told him she had left and was not coming back.
Who was this co-worker who gave Norman a ride home that day? Couldn’t this co-worker confirm Norman’s story? The co-worker has never been identified. Later, the Gwinn family hired a private investigator and there is reason to believe that Norman Stephens didn’t even go to work that day. This should be simple enough, just give the family or the police a name to back up your account of the day.
In the days leading up to her disappearance, Cherice made several phone calls to a friend where she had expressed a desire to leave Norman. She told her friend that she and Norman had been having problems and had asked if she could move in. If this is the case, why would Cherice leave town if she had already made arrangements to live with a friend locally?
Norman Stephens filed for divorce from Cherice Gwinn on October 27, 1993, not even a month had passed since Cherice had “left.” The divorce was uncontested and was finalized on Valentines Day 1994.
On November 1, 1993, the couple’s white Dodge Daytona mysteriously re-appeared in the UPS parking lot. The keys according to Norman had been left above the visor. But where was Cherice? Norman promptly sold the vehicle, getting rid of any clues it may have held to Cherice’s whereabouts.
Cherice would not be reported missing to the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department until September 12, 1994. Cherice’s family had not heard from her in nearly a year, and though they struggled to comprehend why she would leave without telling them in the interim, at this point they knew something was wrong. Cherice would NEVER leave without talking to her family for such an extended period of time.
Once police were involved they attempted to speak with Norman Stephens. Norman was barely cooperative with the authorities and even declined to take a polygraph.
In 2014, Cherice Gwinn was declared legally dead. Her father, Thomas Gwinn spent the remaining years of his life searching for answers in his daughter’s disappearance.
Interesting Facts Regarding Cherice’s Disappearance:
Within a year, Norman Stephens moved out of the farm house in Bolt, WV.
Years later (1997) when the Bolt farm was FINALLY searched, cadaver dogs hit on a spot but nothing was found.
At the time of Cherice’s disappearance, the Breckenridge Missionary Baptist Church in Bolt, WV was under construction for a new addition and the septic tank had been exposed. Suspicions were raised that Cherice’s body could have been stashed in the septic tank. There was a closed door meeting regarding permission to let the police as well as the Gwinn family search the tank, but they were denied. They would not be allowed to search the property for 24 years (September 2017).
Norman Stephens NEVER reported his wife missing, Cherice’s family filed the report.
Norman Stephens will not talk to the Gwinn family despite multiple requests.
It will be 29 years this October since the disappearance of Angela Cherice Gwinn Stephens and her case is still cold. She would be 52 years old this year. If you or anyone you know has any information regarding the disappearance and murder of Cherice Gwinn Stephens, please call Crime Stoppers at (304) 255- STOP. You can even submit a tip online at www.crimestoppersofraleighcounty.org . You are not required to give your name and are able to submit anonymously.
Listen to The Cold Case Crew’s fourth episode, “The Disappearance of Angela Cherice Gwinn-Stephens,” to hear the full story. The Podcast will be available on all streaming platforms on March 7, 2022. Don’t forget to LIKE, SHARE, and SUBSCRIBE.
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References:
Newspapers
The Charleston Gazette Mail
The Register Herald
The State Journal
Podcasts:
The Killer’s Crawlspace
Crime Chats