Tragedy struck the Hollywood Hills in 2003 when aspiring actress Kristi Johnson was found dead, sparking a homicide investigation by the police. Kristi had gone missing after being lured to a fake audition under the guise of auditioning for a role in a James Bond film.
The 21-year-old college student and makeup artist from Los Gatos, California, had dreams of making it big in Hollywood. After working behind the scenes in the film industry, Kristi decided to pursue acting.
Her remains were discovered in a ravine in the Hollywood Hills, and the cause of death was determined to be strangulation. Kristi had been missing for several weeks before her body was found by hikers.
It was later revealed that Kristi had been a victim of a criminal posing as a casting agent. This man, identified as Victor Paleologus, was luring young women to fake auditions with promises of roles in the James Bond film. Several other women came forward with similar stories of being targeted by Paleologus.
In 2006, Paleologus pleaded guilty to Kristi’s murder and was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole. He waived his right to a parole hearing in 2023, with the next hearing scheduled for 2025.
Kristi Johnson’s tragic story has been revisited in Dateline NBC episodes and documentaries, shedding light on the dangers that aspiring actors and actresses can face in the industry.
