Nearly 20 pictures appearing on a Los Angeles-area real estate Web site offer a closer look at the Santa Monica condo rented by the late Juliana Redding.

Redding, an aspiring actress and model from Tucson, was found murdered in the condo March 16 after her concerned mother called police.

No arrests have been made. No suspects have been named.

According to Los Angeles media reports, Redding died as a result of blunt force trauma. However, the autopsy report has not been released.

Shortly after the murder, a police spokesperson told the Santa Monica Daily Press that a security hold had been requested (regarding the autopsy results)
because detectives did not want to release any information that could compromise their investigation.

(VIDEO: 17 condo pictures)

The condo is located on the 1500 block of S. Centinela Avenue.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Santa Monica Police Department at 310-458-8451.

Thank you to Beyond90Seconds.com reader “Miss Conduct” (nickname) for her tip on this story.

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(Santa Monica, California) A Santa Monica man who’d been hospitalized following an assault in a crime-ridden neighborhood earlier this month has died. Word of the death came today in a Santa Monica Police Department news release .

According to police, Preston Brumfield had been found lying unconscious on the sidewalk May 11 on the 1900 block of 20th Street.

According to the news release, the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office determined Brumfield’s cause of death is “homicide”.

Police have no suspects in custody and are appealing to the public for help.

At this time, there is nothing to indicate that Brumfield’s death is connected to two other Santa Monica murders earlier this year.

On March 16, 21-year-old Juliana Redding was found dead in her apartment on the 1500 block of Centinela Avenue. Media reports stated the aspiring model and actress had been assaulted. The autopsy report has not been released.

On March 19, 35-year-old Alexander “Sasha” Merman was found dead in his condominium on the 500 block of Montana Avenue. According to media reports, Merman had been beaten and stabbed.

Investigators have said the Redding and Merman murders appear unrelated.

Anyone with information concerning these three unsolved murders can call the Santa Monica Police Department Detectives at:

• (310) 458-8451 (Monday thrugh Friday, 8am – 5pm)
• (310) 458-8427 (line is to the Watch Commander and is open 24/7) Watch Commander
• 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) (this number is best for people wishing to remain anonymous.  It’s also referred to as the “WeTip hotline”)

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Check out this June 2, 2008 story: Photos offer closer look at condo rented by Redding

related article: Santa Monica’s third homicide of 2008 ( May 21, 2008 )

***

Well, it’s been suggested that I include a disclaimer in this post, so I’ll begin by doing so.

DISCLAIMER: I had nothing to do with the posters/flyers found on a popular street in Venice, California on Sunday, May 4, 2008.

Okay, got that out of the way. But I can certainly see why some might have had any conspiracy theory tendencies twitching today. And in the event that you have that inclination, you might want to read this story before you pull the trigger.

Let me explain. The posters not only show a picture of the late Juliana Redding, they also ask the question, “Who killed Juliana Redding?”

It’s the same question that appeared in a March 17, 2008 headline on this blog. In fact–as of this moment–if you were to Google “Juliana Redding,” that post is likely to rank #1 or #2 out nearly 29,000 results.

A Los Angeles woman did just that. We spoke on the phone this morning. She does not wish to be identified.

I contacted the woman after learning she had photographed the posters. And she’s kindly agreed to share her photographs here.

The story of the “mystery posters” unfolded not far from Santa Monica (where Redding had been found murdered in her apartment March 16).

The posters recently turned-up in neighboring Venice on Abbot Kinney Boulevard.

“Abbot Kinney” features high-end shops popular with tourists. It’s also a short distance from the beach.

At about 10am yesterday, the woman approached the café where she’d planned to meet a friend for coffee.

“I was walking down the street and there were just all of these pieces of paper all over the pavement,” the woman told me.

She initially wondered if the posters were aimed at promoting a movie; a somewhat common tact taken by folks marketing films in the area.

The posters simply said, “Who killed Juliana Redding?” The woman had never heard of such a movie. Nor was she familiar with the person’s name within the question.

(Fact is there is no such film. But Juliana Redding was once very much alive.)

“So, I walked over to my friend who was sitting outside of this café, and I just said, ‘What are these posters?’ And she said, ‘I don’t know, but it’s really annoying because it’s all over the pavement.’”

The woman, who has her own blog, felt compelled to take a brief stroll down the block and document the scene.

“They (posters) were just all over the ground. Sprinkled on the ground.”

She tells it so well, let’s give her the next few paragraphs:

”So, I just walked up and down the pavement and I took some photos. And there were probably at least 15 that I saw within a two block radius on Abbot Kinney. And it seemed like they’d either been put there Saturday night or early Sunday morning.

“Some of them were stuffed underneath doorways or wedged into windows at the retail stores. But it was clear someone had just gone and thrown them all over the sidewalk.

“And I guess it was just surprising because there was no contact information. And it seemed odd that if someone was trying to help solve this mystery, why wouldn’t they put some kind of contact (information)?

“I mean, the only thing it seemed to do was make people want to go look at it and then go Google (the name) Juliana Redding to see what this was about. So, it’s just kind of an odd campaign.

“You might want to do a disclaimer and say (the posters) have nothing to do with you. Because it’s odd.”

Point noted. Whew!

But the posters remain interesting.

Why not any contact information? Even a number to call police?

And why strew them along a trendy Venice street?

According to at least one media report, Redding “was working to make ends meet as a hostess at a tapas restaurant and wine bar in Venice.”

Perhaps the flyers are aimed at pressuring law enforcement to step-up its investigation. Miffed shop owners get the attention of local leaders.

Yikes, now I’m posing a conspiracy theory. I’ll slow down

And who’s to say police aren’t working their tails off? They’ve kept a lot of information between themselves and the killer(s).

Including the findings of the autopsy report.

As always, your comments are welcome here.

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Check out this June 2, 2008 story: Photos offer closer look at condo rented by Redding

Check out this May 21 story: Santa Monica’s third homicide of 2008

Check out this May 5, 2008 update: Posters asking “Who killed Juliana Redding?” plaster Venice street

Update: Maxim has confirmed that its model was the late Juliana Redding

(April 14) A woman who appears to be the late Juliana Redding is featured on Maxim magazine’s web site as the winner of the weekly “Hometown Hottie” contest earlier this year.

The young woman is pictured in three stunning photos. Her bio states that her name is Juliana and that she lives in Santa Monica, California. Juliana’s bio goes on to state that her favorite sports team is “Arizona Wildcats basketball” and that she first worked as a Hooter’s girl.

“I played varsity golf for 4 years and made the girls wear skirts when we played instead of our ugly uniforms,” the bio continues.

Redding, 21, was found murdered in her Santa Monica apartment Sunday, March 16. Los Angeles area media reports state the young woman died from blunt force trauma.

No arrests have been made. Police have yet to name a suspect.

I first blogged about Redding’s murder March 17 and I’ve continued to update that post with useful links concerning the case.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Santa Monica Police Department at 310-458-8451.

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Updates:

Check out this May 21 story: Santa Monica’s third homicide of 2008

Los Angeles Times, LAPD chief vows to clarify policy on immigrants, April 17

Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton said Wednesday that the department’s controversial policy on dealing with illegal immigrants was widely misunderstood by the public and some of his own officers, and he would clarify the rule in the next couple of weeks. -Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times, Zine wants to amend LAPD policy on immigrants, April 11

mayorsam.blogspot.com, Jamiel’s Dad talks with Mayor Sam, April 10

KNBC, 19-year-old pleads not guilty in Jamiel Shaw, Jr. homicide case, April 9

Houston Chronicle (AP), Alleged gang member pleads not guilty in slaying, April 9

Los Angeles Times, Explaining Special Order 40 (opinion), April 9

Los Angeles Times, Ask and deport, family urges, April 9

cbs2.com, Shaw’s family proposes law to help curb violence (VIDEO), April 8

FOX News, “Jamiel’s Law” targets illegal immigrant gang members, April 8

MyFoxla.com, Jamiel Shaw’s parents meet with city leaders, April 8

Los Angeles Times, Grieving father feels failed by 18-year plan, April 8

The Daily Collegian (Penn State University) Cities bleed with ‘death by percentages, April 8

FinalCall.com, Fear of a Black-Brown race war in Los Angeles, April 3

Pedro Espinoza mug shot and booking sheet

CNN, Dad faces son’s alleged killer; sees ‘normal’ youngster, March 26

• MyFoxLA, Arraigment postponed in Jamiel Shaw case, March 25

• KABC-TV, Man accused of killing teen heads to court, March 25

• Suspect in Jamiel Shaw Jr. case may be in US illegally, posted 3/22/08

It’s been 18 days since Jamiel Shaw Jr. was shot and killed in Los Angeles. One suspect’s in custody. Another is on the loose.

For many, any sense of understanding why someone would kill the teenager is also yet to be found.

And the violence continues.

At FinalCall.com, Charlene Muhammad writes a thought-provoking commentary beneath the headline, Gang shootings stun Los Angeles: Football hero slain, nine others injured as violence surges in the city.

Muhammad’s column is a worthwhile read.

Not all of the LA-area murders making headlines appear to be gang-related. The motive behind the killing of 21-year-old Juliana Redding in Santa Monica has yet to be reported. If police know it, they’re keeping that between themselves and the killer.

The familiar circumstances leading-up to Redding’s death can present pitfalls for any journalist charged with reporting the story. Framing it within the predictable, “like so many, she came to SoCal to pursue a dream that ended tragically,” is not just cliché. It seems to dehumanize a very human loss.

Many people in Redding’s hometown of Tucson feel that loss. But the young woman’s story didn’t lead last night’s newscasts.

Sadly, in Tucson, a missing retired schoolteacher was found dead in her car this week. 66-year-old Gayle Katherine Patrick had been shot ( Breaking News: arrest in Patrick case).

Patrick is one of three elderly Tucson-area women who’ve gone missing in recent months. The two others have yet to be found.

By my count, there have been at least 20 murders in Tucson this year. The death of a cab driver named Tim Royce is just one of the other killings that have already made news in March.

And late Tuesday night in Tucson, a man was killed after he was thrown from a car.

Tucson police say nearly 40-percent of the city’s 2008 murders are gang-related.

LA’s hardly alone in its struggle with violent crime.

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NEW:  (March 10, 2009)  TV station removes Juliana Redding “arrest” story from its Web site

(August 30, 2008):  DNA links Santa Monica man to three murders

Check out this June 2, 2008 story:  Photos offer closer look at condo rented by Redding

Check out this May 21, 2008 story: Santa Monica’s third homicide of 2008

Check out this May 5, 2008 update: Posters asking “Who killed Juliana Redding?” plaster Venice street

Check out this April 14, 2008 update: Maxim photos reveal Redding’s beauty

Your comments on the Juliana Redding case are welcome here.

updates:

• KNBC, (*on Merman case*) Autopsy reveals Santa Monica artist stabbed, beaten, March 24:

• The LookOut News (*on Merman case*), Homicide victim stabbed to death, coroner concludes, March 24:

Alexander Merman, who was found dead in his Santa Monica condo last week, died of multiple stab wounds, according to the Los Angeles County Coroners Office. -The LookOut News

The findings of the autopsy conducted Saturday dispelled a report in the Los Angeles Times that Merman had been shot to death. Police had reported that Merman died as a result of “blunt force trauma.” -The LookOut News

• Greg Cipes’ YouTube “dedication“

• Santa Monica Daily Press, Second homicide in a week strikes city, March 21:

Both Merman and Juliana Redding, who took several courses at Santa Monica College, were living alone and discovered after their mothers had asked for someone to check in on the victims, concerned after having difficulty reaching their children. -Santa Monica Daily Press

• KNBC, Investigations into two Santa Monica murders continue, March 21:

Alexander Merman, 35 — who was apparently beaten to death — was found dead in his apartment at 520 Montana Ave. at about 8:05 p.m. Wednesday, said Santa Monica police Lt. Alex Padilla. -KNBC

“The mother had not been able to get in contact with her son for several days,” Padilla said. It was unknown how long Merman had been dead, he said. -KNBC

• LAist.com, Details come out on second Santa Monica murder, March 21:

Police say the two murders in Santa Monica are unrelated, but both draw eerie similarities. Both murdered in their multi-family complexes, 3-miles apart, Juliana Redding, found dead on Sunday, and Alexander Merman, found on Wednesday, were discovered in their states at the request of each of their mothers for someone to check on them since communications had lessoned. -LAist.com

• Los Angeles Times / KTLA (video), Second homicide in four days in Santa Monica, March 20:

An artist’s body is found in his Montana Avenue apartment. Police say there is no apparent connection between his death and the killing of a woman whose body was found Sunday about 3 miles away. -Los Angeles Times

2nd victim: Alexander “Sasha” Merman

Merman’s Web site

• KFOX, Police investigate 2nd “suspicious death” in Santa Monica, March 20 (article updated 7:49pm PDT)

• Santa Monica Daily Press, Staying safe in the city, March 20:

Last fall a woman was assaulted in her Princeton Street home by a 17-year-old man from Oxnard who was believed to have been working on her house during the day.

The two incidents were unrelated but occurred on women who were believed to be living alone at the time.

When it comes to safety… -Santa Monica Daily Press

• KCBS: Santa Monica man’s death now called suspicious, March 20:

Santa Monica police were expected to release more information about the discovery later on Thursday, Toti added. -KCBS

(on the Juliana Redding case)
Assistant Chief Ed Winter of the coroner’s office said that Redding’s autopsy was completed, but Santa Monica police put a “security hold” on the results. Winter said it would probably be 30 to 60 days before the results would be made public. -KCBS

• KNBC: Man’s body found inside Santa Monica apartment, March 20:

Police on Thursday investigated the “suspicious death” of a man whose body was found inside a Santa Monica apartment, the second apparent homicide in the normally tranquil city since the weekend. -KNBC

Police, meanwhile, continued to investigate the death of Juliana Maureen Redding… -KNBC

Kovacik said police had determined there was no connection between the man’s death and Redding’s murder. -KNBC

• Long Beach Press-Telegram, March 19 (10:58pm), a perspective column about recent violence against young people, including Juliana Redding

My sister Ginny Clements is on the line from Tucson, and she sounds distraught.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“A girl I knew who was the granddaughter of a close friend was murdered in Santa Monica,” she said. “Her name was Juliana Redding, and I just feel terrible about it.”-Long Beach Press-Telegram

• FOX News, March 19:

“The preliminary investigation has revealed no bullet or stab wounds,” Winter told the paper, though he declined to elaborate on Redding’s injuries or disclose a cause or time of death.

KABC reported that the autopsy results won’t be released for 30 to 60 days.

Police said they were working with DNA taken from the scene.

“We have collected some evidence at the crime scene that we’re looking at, both DNA and other,” Padilla told KABC. “And so any of that information will certainly be evaluated.”-FOX News

• Santa Monica Daily Press, March 19, Cops withholding autopsy results

• Transworldnews.com, March 19, Juliana Redding death result of blunt force trauma

• Los Angeles Times, March 19, No suspect in death of model, actress
  

With tears in their eyes, friends from the Venice wine bistro where she had worked part time for about a year brought flowers to her apartment building Tuesday, placing them by a nearby palm tree. -LA Times

• Arizona Daily Star (Tucson), March 19, California cops hunt leads in death of Salpointe graduate

• KNBC-TV (Los Angeles) *video* 10:19pm, Tuesday, Friends remember 21-year-old aspiring actress, model

• KABC, (March 18 ) Autopsy completed on murdered actress

• KVOA-TV (Tucson) has just reported at 6pm that Redding was attending community college in Santa Monica and was working as a hostess in a restaurant

• KABC reporter appearing on Tucson’s KGUN-TV at 6pm: Police say it appears Redding died from blunt force trauma

• Tucson Citizen

In high school “she was involved in the drama department, as well as the Salpointe golf team and student council, she was a good student,” said Kay Sullivan, a spokeswoman for the school. -Tucson Citizen

• ABC News

• musicremedy.com file story on Greg Cipes:

“I was divinely placed in a position to see how the music made those living in poverty feel so good,” he (Cipes) says.

• America’s Most Wanted joins hunt for Juliana Redding’s killer

• Tuesday’s 11am video from KNBC-TV.

• “ex-boyfriend” Greg Cipes tells KNBC Redding was “very lonely and scared of being in her apartment” and claims Redding worked at strip club on Sunset Boulevard.

• FOX 11 (LA) latest video and article: “She was not shot. She was not stabbed.”

• Greg Cipes (band) myspace, Greg Cipes myspace, Greg Cipes wiki

***

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Santa Monica Police Department at 310-458-8451.

A young woman who went to California to pursue her dream of becoming an actress and model was found dead inside her Santa Monica apartment early Sunday evening.

KABC-TV in Los Angeles reports that 21-year-old Juliana Maureen Redding was murdered and that police discovered the victim’s body after receiving a phone call from Redding’s concerned mother. The news station reports the mother had made “several attempts” to contact her daughter.

A KNBC-TV (Los Angeles) story states that police believe Redding was killed Sunday.

According to KABC, police have said Redding was “assaulted.” KNBC reports that “there was some trauma to the body.”

No word yet on the cause of death.

(*KABC has several videos now on the Redding story. Video “New details in Santa Monica murder” shows police investigating what appears to be a trail of blood near Redding’s apartment. This video also includes a movie clip featuring Redding and an interview with her high school golf coach).

Redding had moved to California from Arizona. According to published reports, she graduated from Salpointe High School in Tucson.

While the Internet Movie Database does have a listing for a “Julianna Redding,” the popular movie Web site has no listing for a “Juliana Redding.”

*Update: Movie trailer and cast info for film featuring Juliana Redding. This appears to be the same person killed in Santa Monica.

There are some conflicting reports concerning the spelling of Redding’s first name. KGUN-TV (Tucson) appeared to spell it “Julianna.” However, this could not be verified as the station has not published the Redding story on its Web site.

As of early Tuesday morning, KOLD-TV (Tucson) used “Juliana” in its copy/text portion of its Web report. However, “Julianna” appears beside the victim’s picture at kold.com.

In a November 28, 2004 article, the Arizona Daily Star (Tucson) included Juliana Redding of Salpointe High School in its “honorable mention” list of standout high school golfers.

At this time, Beyond90Seconds.com has decided to use the Associated Press spelling of the victim’s name.

If Beyond90Seconds.com learns that a correction of the victim’s name is needed here, the correction will be made promptly.

Your comments on the Juliana Redding case are welcome here.

Additional links

Santa Monica Daily Press

KCBS-TV

Los Angeles Times

*special thanks to Tami over at Crime Interrupted who sent me some of the links concerning Greg Cipes.

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