The tragic story of Kristi Johnson, a promising young actress who was found dead after being lured to a fake audition, has left many in shock.
Kristi, born on February 27, 1981, was a college student, makeup artist, and aspiring actress from Los Gatos, California.
After relocating to Saugatuck, Michigan during her childhood, she attended Western Michigan University before moving to Santa Monica, California to pursue her dreams in the film industry.
On March 3, 2003, Kristi’s remains were discovered in a ravine in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles by a group of hikers. It was determined that she was strangled to death and had been missing since February 15 of the same year.
Kristi’s mother, Terry Hall, filed a missing persons report with the Santa Monica Police Department after not hearing back from her daughter for two days following the supposed audition.
During the investigation, it was revealed that several other women had come forward with similar stories of being lured by a man posing as a casting agent for a James Bond film.
This man was identified as Victor Paleologus, who was eventually charged with Kristi’s murder. Paleologus pleaded guilty in 2006 and was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison with the chance of parole.
Despite waiving his right to a parole hearing in 2023, Paleologus remains incarcerated at the California Institution for Men in Chino, San Bernardino County.
Kristi’s story has been covered in various media outlets, including Dateline NBC and The Real Murders of Los Angeles, shedding light on the dangers faced by aspiring actors and actresses in Hollywood.
