Cherie Lash Rhoades was born in 1969 and was a member of the Cedarville Rancheria, a federally recognized band of the Northern Paiute tribe located in Modoc County, California. The Cedarville Rancheria spans 26 acres near the Oregon border, with tribal headquarters located in Alturas, California. Rhoades held a significant role within the tribal community, having served as the tribal chairwoman before being removed from her position due to allegations of corruption.

According to reports, Rhoades was under federal investigation at the time of the murders. Authorities were looking into the disappearance of more than $50,000 in tribal funds, and tensions in the community had been rising for months. Rhoades was facing tribal eviction, and she, along with her son, was being asked to leave tribal housing—a decision that was being formalized at a community meeting.

Those who knew Rhoades said she was a complex figure—sometimes described as caring and community-minded, but also as domineering and erratic. She had a history of power struggles within tribal leadership and was believed to be deeply resentful of her removal from office. Despite her legal blindness in one eye, she had been an active presence in tribal politics and community decisions.

On February 20, 2014, everything came to a head during a scheduled eviction hearing.

On the afternoon of February 20, 2014, Cherie Lash Rhoades, then 44 years old, entered the Cedarville Rancheria Tribal Office in Alturas, California, where a community meeting was taking place to address her pending eviction. According to reports, the meeting was filled with tribal leaders and community members—many of them related to Rhoades.

Without warning, Rhoades drew a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and opened fire on the room. In a matter of minutes, she killed four people:

Rurik Davis (age 50) — her brother

Angel Penn (age 19) — her niece

Glenn Calonicco (age 30) — her nephew

Sheila Lynn Russo (age 47) — the tribal administrator and mother of two

Two additional victims were wounded by gunfire. Once Rhoades ran out of ammunition, she retrieved a butcher knife from the office kitchen and stabbed one of the injured victims.

She then ran outside, knife in hand, where she was subdued and arrested by responding officers. Officers described her as still agitated and in possession of the weapon. Her actions sent shockwaves through the small tribal community, which had only 13 registered residents in the 2010 census.

Following her arrest, Rhoades was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder, along with weapons and assault enhancements. She was arraigned on February 24, 2014, and entered a not guilty plea.

Rhoades’ trial spanned several years, due to mental health evaluations, pre-trial motions, and the sensitive nature of the case within a tight-knit community. It also attracted national attention due to the rarity of female mass shooters and the fact that this was an intra-tribal massacre — with the killer targeting her own family and fellow leaders.

During trial proceedings, the prosecution portrayed Rhoades as a calculating, bitter former leader who acted out of revenge and entitlement. Her motive was directly tied to her loss of tribal power and her looming eviction. There was also the federal investigation into missing funds, which added to her legal and social pressure.

In April 2017, after pleading no contest to avoid further delays, Rhoades was convicted on all charges and sentenced to death by lethal injection. She became one of the very few women on California’s death row.

As of 2025, Cherie Lash Rhoades remains on death row in California, awaiting execution. She is currently one of only a few female inmates with a death sentence in the state. Due to California’s moratorium on executions, her sentence has not yet been carried out.

The Cedarville Rancheria massacre remains one of the most tragic events in tribal government history, leaving behind a deeply scarred community and a chilling example of power turned deadly.