A 36-year-old woman met a tragic fate last month when she was fatally stabbed in an unprovoked incident outside a Dollar General store in Florida, law enforcement officials have reported.
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office identified the victim as Cheyenne Kastens, who was attacked by 54-year-old Lemar Beasley in the parking lot of the store located in Fruitland Park, a community in Central Florida.
According to the State Attorney’s Office, Beasley launched a brutal assault, stabbing Kastens more than 40 times.
Authorities have found no evidence to suggest that Kastens and Beasley knew each other, nor is there any indication of prior interaction between them before the attack. Kastens was immediately taken to a hospital where she was declared dead.
Following the incident, Beasley fled the scene and was later discovered hiding inside a nearby camper. He was subsequently arrested and taken into custody.
“No words can bring back the irreparable harm to Ms. Kastens’ family and friends caused at the hands of a stone-cold killer,” Sheriff H.D. “Gator” DeLoach remarked.
‘However, I hope they can take solace in knowing the intent to hold Lemar Beasley accountable for his actions.’
Beasley is a convicted sex offender who was released from prison in July after serving just over four years for not complying with registered offender requirements.
Beasley was convicted of a series of violent offenses throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, including burglary, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, armed robbery with a firearm and sexual battery.
Cheyenne Kastens, 36, was killed last month in a random attack outside a Dollar General in Fruitland Park, Florida
Kastens was attacked in the parking lot of this Dollar General. Police and prosecutors are treating this as an unprovoked stabbing
Records also indicated he was charged with escaping from law enforcement custody in May 2000, but those charges were never pursued.
Beasley was indicted by a grand jury on December 1 for first-degree murder in the killing of Kastens.
On December 18, prosecutors filed a motion with the court stating their intent to seek the death penalty.
‘The capital felony was especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel,’ Assistant State Attorney K. Mark Johnson wrote in a signed letter. ‘[It] was a homicide and was committed in a cold, calculated, and premeditated manner without any pretense of moral or legal justification.’
In her obituary, Kastens was remembered as someone who ‘filled the world around her with light, humor, and an unmistakable spark that was entirely her own’.
She was described as ‘kind, intelligent, and genuine, someone who cared deeply for the people and animals she loved’.
Police say career criminal Lemar Beasley, 54, stabbed Kastens 40 times. Prosecutors have announced their intent to seek the death penalty for him
Shawn Kastens, the victim’s brother, started a GoFundMe to pay for his sister’s funeral costs.
‘She worked on boats and absolutely loved the life that came with it. She was fun-loving, kind, smart, and always ready with a joke to make someone smile. She loved her cats and animals, cherished time with her friends, and brought joy to every room she walked into,’ he wrote.
‘This loss has shattered our family. While the suspect is currently in custody, nothing can ease the pain of losing Cheyenne far too soon,’ he added.
