Overview

• Full name: Angela Cherice Gwinn Stephens, also listed as Angela Gwinn-Stephens
• Known as: Cherice
• Age at disappearance: 23
• Date of birth: June 27, 1970
• Official missing date: October 1, 1993; a Crime Stoppers listing identifies a possible disappearance window beginning September 29, 1993
• Last known location: Beckley area, Raleigh County, West Virginia
• Residence at disappearance: Bolt area, Raleigh County, West Virginia
• Physical description: Approximately 5 feet 1 inch tall, 105 pounds, blonde hair and blue eyes
• Distinguishing features: Scar on her nose, double-pierced ears, contact lenses
• Associated vehicle: White 1993 Dodge Daytona
• Case classification: Endangered missing; investigated as a suspected homicide
• Current status: Unresolved, with no publicly confirmed recovery of her remains
• NamUs reference: MP9358, as reported by Uncovered

Main circumstances: According to the West Virginia State Police’s missing-person profile, Cherice disappeared after dropping her husband off at work in Beckley’s Industrial Park on October 1, 1993. Crime Stoppers provides a broader possible disappearance window, and later reporting raises questions about the movements of her vehicle and the timing of her disappearance.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Angela Cherice Gwinn-Stephens: The Unsolved 1993 Disappearance and Suspected Homicide in Raleigh County, West Virginia

More than three decades after 23-year-old Angela Cherice Gwinn-Stephens vanished from southern West Virginia, her family is still searching for answers. Known to loved ones as Cherice, she disappeared in the fall of 1993, leaving behind questions about her last known movements, a white Dodge Daytona that later resurfaced, and what happened during the hours surrounding her disappearance.

Her case has been investigated as a suspected homicide, according to a Crime Stoppers of West Virginia cold-case listing. However, no publicly confirmed recovery of her remains or criminal conviction has resolved the mystery. In October 2025, her family renewed its appeal for information and announced a substantial reward in hopes of finally locating her remains.

Case Summary

• Full name: Angela Cherice Gwinn Stephens, also listed as Angela Gwinn-Stephens
• Known as: Cherice
• Age at disappearance: 23
• Date of birth: June 27, 1970
• Official missing date: October 1, 1993; a Crime Stoppers listing identifies a possible disappearance window beginning September 29, 1993
• Last known location: Beckley area, Raleigh County, West Virginia
• Residence at disappearance: Bolt area, Raleigh County, West Virginia
• Physical description: Approximately 5 feet 1 inch tall, 105 pounds, blonde hair and blue eyes
• Distinguishing features: Scar on her nose, double-pierced ears, contact lenses
• Associated vehicle: White 1993 Dodge Daytona
• Case classification: Endangered missing; investigated as a suspected homicide
• Current status: Unresolved, with no publicly confirmed recovery of her remains
• NamUs reference: MP9358, as reported by Uncovered

Main circumstances: According to the West Virginia State Police’s missing-person profile, Cherice disappeared after dropping her husband off at work in Beckley’s Industrial Park on October 1, 1993. Crime Stoppers provides a broader possible disappearance window, and later reporting raises questions about the movements of her vehicle and the timing of her disappearance.

Background: Who Was Angela Cherice Gwinn-Stephens?

Angela Cherice Gwinn Stephens was a young woman living in Raleigh County, West Virginia, when she disappeared in 1993. She was married to Norman Stephens, and the couple reportedly lived in a small residence on the Harmon property along Brackenridge Road in the Bolt area.

According to the Crime Stoppers of West Virginia cold-case account, Cherice was attending the College of West Virginia, also known as Beckley College. She enjoyed physical fitness and belonged to L.A. East Gym in Beckley. She had previously worked at Spartan Sporting Goods.

These details provide a picture of a young woman with educational interests, employment experience, and connections to her local community. She was only 23 when her life was interrupted by a disappearance that would remain unresolved for decades.

Cherice had blonde hair, blue eyes, and a small scar on her nose. Her ears were double-pierced, and she wore contact lenses. The West Virginia State Police also recorded that she was wearing a diamond ring and gold band.

Her family continued searching for her long after she disappeared, maintaining public awareness of the case and encouraging anyone with information to contact investigators.

The Disappearance in September–October 1993

The official West Virginia State Police missing-person record identifies October 1, 1993, as Cherice’s disappearance date.

According to that record, Cherice dropped her husband off at his workplace at 209 George Street in the Industrial Park area of Beckley. She was not heard from again.

The Charley Project identifies her husband as Norman Stephens and states that she was driving a white Dodge Daytona. The vehicle later became an important part of the case.

There is an important discrepancy in the publicly available chronology. The Crime Stoppers cold-case listing describes Cherice as having disappeared sometime between September 29 and October 1, 1993, rather than establishing one definitive last-seen date.

Consequently, October 1 should be understood as the official missing date, not necessarily proof that investigators have independently established every detail of her movements that day.

The White Dodge Daytona

One of the most significant unresolved elements involves Cherice’s white 1993 Dodge Daytona.

Crime Stoppers reports that the vehicle disappeared around the same time she did and reappeared approximately one month later. Its cold-case appeal specifically requests information about where the car may have been stored or transported during the fall of 1993.

An October 2, 2025, report by WOAY-TV stated that the car was discovered at her husband’s workplace with its keys tucked beneath the sun visor.

The location where the car was kept during the intervening period, who had access to it, and how it returned are questions of obvious investigative importance.

Publicly available material reviewed for this article does not establish whether usable fingerprints, biological evidence, or other forensic findings were recovered from the vehicle. No such results should be presumed.

The Delay in Reporting Her Missing

Another unusual feature of the case is the delay before Cherice was formally reported missing.

According to the Crime Stoppers cold-case listing, she was not reported missing until September 1994, nearly a year after her disappearance.

A secondary case account identifies September 12, 1994, as the date her aunt reported her missing to the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department. That precise date has not been independently established through an original police report in the sources reviewed.

The delay is relevant to understanding the investigation, but it does not establish what happened to Cherice or who may have been responsible.

Investigation History and Evidence

Questions Concerning Norman Stephens

Norman Stephens, Cherice’s husband at the time, has been discussed in public accounts of the investigation because he was reportedly the last person known to have seen her.

The Charley Project states that Norman declined to take a polygraph examination and filed for divorce approximately one month after Cherice disappeared.

Crime Stoppers likewise reports that he filed for divorce within weeks of her disappearance and that the divorce was finalized on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1994.

The Charley Project also describes a private investigator hired by Cherice’s father who questioned whether Norman had worked on the day Cherice supposedly dropped him off and raised concerns about the vehicle’s disposition.

These are reported investigative concerns and allegations, not findings of criminal guilt. The Charley Project explicitly states that Norman had not been named a suspect in its account and reports that he maintained Cherice had simply left him.

A refusal to take a polygraph, the filing of divorce papers, or a disputed account of someone’s movements does not independently establish involvement in a disappearance.

No publicly verified criminal charge against Norman Stephens in connection with Cherice’s disappearance was identified in the sources reviewed.

Searches of Properties Connected to the Case

Over the years, searches have focused on possible locations where evidence or human remains might be found.

A retrospective account published by Mountain State Mysteries describes a 1997 search of property associated with the Stephens family. Cherice’s brother reportedly stated that cadaver dogs alerted to a location, but no remains were recovered.

The same secondary account describes a March 2010 search at an old coal-mining store in Crab Orchard. It reports that a bone recovered during the search was subsequently determined to be from an animal.

These details come from retrospective reporting rather than independently reviewed forensic records, so they should not be treated as proof that human remains were found at either location.

The 2017 Church Property Search

Another significant search took place in 2017 at property associated with Brackenridge Missionary Baptist Church.

According to historical reporting summarized by Mountain State Mysteries, Cherice’s family pursued a search involving an old septic tank beneath the church parking area.

The family’s concerns were connected to suspicions about whether the location could have been used to conceal remains around the time of Cherice’s disappearance.

The search did not locate Cherice.

Her brother, Thomas Gwinn Jr., publicly expressed his belief that his sister had been killed rather than voluntarily disappearing. That statement represents a family belief, not independent forensic confirmation of the manner of death.

WOAY-TV’s October 2025 reporting also confirmed that the church septic-tank search had failed to locate her remains.

The 2014 Legal Declaration of Death

In May 2014, Cherice was declared legally dead.

The Charley Project documents that determination, and a retrospective account describes a Raleigh County Commission proceeding involving a petition for presumption of death.

A legal declaration of presumed death is distinct from identifying human remains, determining an exact date or cause of death, or obtaining a homicide conviction.

The Crime Stoppers cold-case listing explicitly states that the case is being investigated as a homicide. That investigative classification reflects the seriousness of the circumstances, but it does not mean a particular person has been proven responsible.

Theories and Unresolved Questions

Several possibilities have been discussed publicly, but the available evidence does not support presenting any one explanation as established fact.

Did Cherice Leave Voluntarily?

The Charley Project reports that Norman Stephens maintained Cherice had simply left him.

However, the same source describes her disappearance as uncharacteristic and states that foul play is suspected.

No independently verified evidence reviewed for this article establishes that Cherice voluntarily began a new life elsewhere. Her long absence and the unresolved questions surrounding her vehicle remain central concerns.

Was Cherice the Victim of Homicide?

Crime Stoppers identifies the investigation as a homicide case, and family members have repeatedly expressed their belief that Cherice was killed.

Nevertheless, the publicly available records reviewed do not establish a confirmed cause of death, the location of her remains, or the identity of a perpetrator.

It is therefore appropriate to describe her case as an unresolved disappearance investigated as a suspected homicide, rather than as a solved murder.

What Happened to Her Vehicle?

The Dodge Daytona remains one of the clearest potential sources of historical information.

Important unanswered questions include who controlled the car after Cherice vanished, where it was located during the missing interval, who returned it, and whether anyone observed its movements.

Crime Stoppers specifically identifies information about the car’s storage or transport during fall 1993 as important to the investigation.

Could Undiscovered Evidence Still Exist?

Because several decades have passed, physical evidence, historical documents, and witness recollections may be difficult to recover or verify.

Modern forensic methods, including advanced DNA analysis, could potentially assist an old investigation if suitable evidence exists. However, no public source reviewed for this article confirms that forensic genetic genealogy, new DNA testing, or a recently identified set of human remains has produced a breakthrough in Cherice’s case.

These are possible investigative avenues, not confirmed developments.

Latest Publicly Available Investigative Updates

October 2025: Renewed Appeal and $50,000 Reward

One of the most significant recent public developments occurred around the 32nd anniversary of Cherice’s disappearance.

On October 2, 2025, WOAY-TV published a report describing a renewed appeal from investigators and family members.

The report stated that, beginning October 1, 2025, the Gwinn family was offering a $50,000 reward for a 90-day period for the recovery of Cherice’s skeletal remains.

The appeal directed people with information to Crime Stoppers of West Virginia at 304-255-7867 or to a postal address in Glen Jean, West Virginia.

The 90-day period announced in 2025 has passed as of October 2026. The reward should not be assumed to remain available under the same terms without confirmation from the family or investigators.

A Mountain State Mysteries podcast episode published October 13, 2025, also discussed the renewed $50,000 reward and information supplied by a family member. This was an awareness and information appeal, not confirmation of an arrest or forensic breakthrough.

Case Status as of October 19, 2026

The West Virginia State Police continues to display Cherice’s case in its public missing-person directory, and the Crime Stoppers cold-case page remains accessible.

The October 2025 public appeal is the most recent specifically dated, substantive case development identified in the reviewed sources.

No publicly confirmed newer investigative breakthrough, arrest, prosecution, recovery of remains, or identification through DNA or forensic genetic genealogy was located.

This does not establish that investigators have stopped working on the case. It means that additional developments could not be verified from the publicly available information reviewed for this article.

Conclusion: The Search for Angela Cherice Gwinn-Stephens Continues

Angela Cherice Gwinn-Stephens was 23 years old when she disappeared from Raleigh County in 1993. Her family has spent more than three decades seeking answers about what happened to her.

The case involves a disputed disappearance timeline, an automobile that vanished and later reappeared, searches that failed to recover her remains, and unanswered questions about the circumstances of her last known movements.

Despite a legal declaration of death and a homicide investigation, the essential questions remain unresolved: Where is Cherice, and what happened to her?

Anyone who remembers seeing Cherice or her white Dodge Daytona in the Beckley or Bolt areas during September or October 1993, or who has information about the car’s later movements, is encouraged to contact law enforcement.

Information that once seemed insignificant may help investigators establish a more complete sequence of events.

Crime Stoppers of West Virginia: 304-255-7867

West Virginia State Police, Lewisburg Station: 304-647-7600

The West Virginia State Police missing-person profile also lists the Beckley station at 304-256-6700 as a case contact.