'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAYACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABhAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAcQAAEDBAMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIBAwUABBEhBgdRcgEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABgcRAAICAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECESEABAMTImH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/ANQl+kTCAlkspJoLCbwyovAbr7I2QKpIJKuMEux8ql3h/LjdMkmrPZKu7c/fulKFbHl1iLRSZuyMo2oqnu+cjKIqgxz/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
In late March 2018, Adea Shabani was found buried in a shallow grave in a forest close to Nevada County over a month after she was reported missing. She was a Macedonian native, who aspired to be an actress and model.
Shabani, 25, was last seen leaving her apartment with her then-boyfriend Chris Spotz. He killed himself a few days prior to the discovery of her remains after a 60-mile car chase. Detectives believe Spotz, 33, was engaged to another woman at the time and was likely involved in Shabani's disappearance.
Death by Fame on ID will shed light on details about Adea Shabani's case that remains a mystery to date. An all-new episode titled For the Love of Drama is scheduled to air on Monday, February 13, 2023, at 9.00 pm ET.
The synopsis for the upcoming episode reads:
"Adea Shabani crossed oceans to pursue her Hollywood dreams; still, passions run high in La La Land, so when she mysteriously goes missing, investigators scramble to keep her from becoming another of the city's lost angels."
Adea Shabani's final moments, Chris Spotz's involvement, and more details about the actress' case
1) Shabani was last seen in her apartment elevator with her boyfriend, carrying two bags
Adea Shabani went missing on February 23, 2018, while studying in the acclaimed Stella Adler Studio of Acting. Her friends soon became suspicious when she failed to show up for an important class and asked the Los Angeles Police Department to conduct a welfare check. A few days later, she was reported missing.
As per the CCTV footage, Shabani and her 33-year-old boyfriend Chris Spotz left their residence that day sometime around noon. They were both spotted in the elevator of her building wearing baseball caps. Shabani was seen carrying two bags.
Around that time, she sent her final text, asking a friend where she might find red candles. This marked her final interaction with anyone.
2) Her boyfriend claimed that he dropped her off a few miles from her apartment
Police discovered that Adea Shabani's apartment was unlocked while conducting a welfare check. Additional evidence suggested that her laptop was used on the evening of her disappearance, long after she stopped communicating with her friends.
At the time, Shabani's boyfriend Chris Spotz claimed that they went for a long drive to Northern California but allegedly got into a bitter argument. He mentioned that she got out of the car at Santa Clarita, about 25 miles from her apartment.
He mentioned that he drove away and that was the last time he saw her. Spotz immediately became a suspect in the case since he was the last person seen with her.
3) Detectives found that Spotz was lying and started questioning his whereabouts
Upon checking Chris Spotz's claims, the detectives came to the realization that he had been misleading them. They further claimed that the 33-year-old was having an affair with the actress as they learned that he was engaged to another woman named Mary Elmalak while dating her. Moreover, mid-investigation, on March 1, he drove to his family home in Colorado with his fiancee to see his parents.
As per the Fort Morgan Times, LAPD Captain William Hayes said:
"We have no corroborating information that supports his statements that he had an argument with her and put her out on the side of the freeway. We went up and checked the area and there was nothing to corroborate what he was saying."
4) Spotz shot himself in the head following a car chase nearly a month after Adea Shabani's disappearance
Given that Chris Spotz had been publicly named as a suspect in the disappearance of his girlfriend by the LAPD, they issued an alert for the car he was allegedly driving at the time. They said that the Toyota Tacoma that the suspect was driving was a stolen car.
On March 22, police in San Bernardino, California, were able to locate his car in the city of Hesperia. The encounter resulted in a 60-mile high-speed car chase from Hesperia to Corona as police attempted a felony traffic stop to arrest Spotz. However, before he could be taken into custody, he shot himself in the head in Corona.
5) Adea Shabani's remains were found a week after Spotz killed himself
Detectives found 25-year-old Shabani's body buried in a shallow grave roughly 400 miles away from her house. She was buried near a marsh in an isolated wildlife area of northern California in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The tattoos on her body were used to identify her. An examination later revealed that she died of blunt force trauma to her head.
After his death, Chris Spotz's family gave investigators access to his phone, which revealed that he was at the victim's place at 12.48 pm on the day she disappeared. His digital footprints were also traced to the Northern California region, where her body was discovered.
Tune in to Death by Fame on ID to learn more details about Adea Shabani's case on February 13, 2023, at 9.00 pm ET.
