Deputies say the attack appeared random; a suspect was arrested after a 24-hour search.
FRUITLAND, Fla. — Family and friends gathered this week outside a Dollar General in south Putnam County to remember Cheyenne Kastens, 36, who deputies say was fatally stabbed in the store’s parking lot on Friday, Nov. 14. A 54-year-old Crescent City man was arrested the next day after a countywide search, and investigators say the pair had no known connection.
Kastens’ death has shaken the small Fruitland community and nearby Georgetown, where relatives say she was running a routine errand when she was attacked. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office says the manhunt drew multiple agencies and ended Saturday, Nov. 15, when deputies found the suspect living in a camper. He faces a count of first-degree premeditated murder. The case now moves into the charging phase as detectives finish gathering statements, surveillance video and evidence collected at the scene, including a knife authorities say was used in the attack.
Deputies say Kastens had just returned to her car outside the Dollar General when she was stabbed shortly after nightfall. Witnesses called 911 as bystanders tried to help. Paramedics rushed her to a hospital, where she died. The suspect ran, sparking a 24-hour manhunt across south Putnam County. Deputies located him on Huntington Shortcut Road on Saturday afternoon and took him into custody without incident. “Our prayers and deepest condolences are to the family and friends of Cheyenne Kastens,” Sheriff H.D. “Gator” DeLoach said, adding that his office intends to pursue the case aggressively. Investigators say there was no conversation or prior interaction between the two before the attack.
Authorities identified the suspect as Lemar Beasley, 54, of Crescent City. The sheriff’s office says deputies recovered a knife believed to be the weapon and sent it for testing. Records show Beasley is a registered sex offender with a criminal history, and officials said he had been released from state prison in July after serving time related to a registration case. Detectives are reviewing surveillance footage from inside and outside the store and interviewing employees and customers who were present Friday night. A motive remains unknown, investigators said. The sheriff’s office said additional forensic reports are pending and could take weeks, including lab work on the blade and clothing collected during the arrest.
Relatives described Kastens as a caring daughter, sister and friend who loved animals and often helped neighbors. “She was kind. She would give you the shirt off her back,” her sister, Julianne Harper, said at the gathering. A friend, Courtney Knight, called the killing “completely random” and said Kastens had been “just doing daily errands.” Loved ones placed flowers, hand-lettered signs and candles along the curb where deputies set crime-scene tape days earlier. Several spoke through tears, saying the suddenness left them without a chance to say goodbye. Others thanked store workers and passersby who tried to help before first responders arrived.
Friday’s stabbing is the latest high-profile violent crime to unsettle rural pockets of Putnam County, where deputies say retail parking lots and gas stations can draw people from across the region. Fruitland lies along U.S. 17, just north of Crescent City and roughly 25 miles south of Palatka. Longtime residents say the Dollar General is one of a few spots open late. In recent years, the sheriff’s office has added visible patrols around high-traffic stores during peak evening hours. Records show deputies often lean on shop cameras and nearby traffic systems to assemble timelines in cases like this one, tying together a suspect’s movements before and after an attack.
Beasley was booked on a charge of first-degree premeditated murder. The State Attorney’s Office for the Seventh Judicial Circuit will review the case and file formal charges. Deputies said more arrests are not expected. An initial court appearance and future hearing dates were not immediately available as of Friday. Investigators said they will continue canvassing for witnesses and are asking anyone who was at the store Friday evening to contact detectives. Once lab results come back, the sheriff’s office plans to submit a full case file to prosecutors, who will determine whether to seek an indictment by a grand jury.
As the sun set over the parking lot this week, mourners lit candles and bowed their heads. A couple who didn’t know the family stopped to leave roses; a cashier from a nearby store hugged relatives and cried. “She wasn’t just a statistic,” Knight said. “She was a girl living life.” After a brief prayer, people shared stories about Kastens’ humor and kindness. Passing cars slowed. A line of tea lights flickered near the spot where a small cross now sits, next to a poster that read, “Justice for Cheyenne.”
Kastens’ relatives say they will continue gathering at the site until a court date is set, even as investigators finish reports and prosecutors weigh charges. Deputies said updates on the case are expected in the coming days as evidence returns from the lab and filings move forward. For now, the storefront has turned into a memorial, with flowers and candles marking the place where the community last saw their neighbor alive.
Author note: Last updated November 21, 2025.