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The disappearance of Kristi Johnson in 2003 led to a widespread search for the perpetrator. A group of hikers found Johnson's heavily decomposed remains in a ravine off Hollywood Hills half a month later. The autopsy reports determined strangulation to be the cause of her death, per the Los Angeles Times.
The investigation led the authorities to repeat s*x offender Victor Paleologus, who was arrested in May 2003. The Dateline NBC episode titled The Girl with the Hibiscus Tattoo showcases the gruesome details of Kristi Johnson's murder as it airs on NBC exclusively on May 31, 2024, at 9 p.m. EST.
Five important details of Kristi Johnson's murder
1) Kristi Johnson disappeared on February 15, 2003
21-year-old Kristi Johnson had moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of breaking into Hollywood. She had trained as a makeup artist and had been working at a cellphone company on the side.
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According to NBC News, Kristi had spoken to her mother, Terry Hall, on February 15, 2003, when she informed her that she would be visiting the Westfield Century City Mall. Hall had asked her to buy a Valentine's Day gift for herself.
Kristi Johnson had met Victor Paleologus at the mall, where he approached her for an audition for the role of a Bond girl in an alleged upcoming James Bond sequel. He lured her to his Studio City apartment with the promise of a six-figure return and had instructed her to be in a black miniskirt, white shirt, nylons, and stiletto heels.
Johnson was last seen shopping for the clothing items in the surveillance footage of the mall.
2) Johnson's body was discovered by a group of hikers on March 3, 2003
Terry Hall tried to reach Kristi Johnson for two days, after which she reported her as a missing person. While the authorities and Kristi's close ones started a large-scale search for her, the police set up an information line where several women called to report similar incidents with them.
On March 3, 2003, a group of hikers discovered Kristi's heavily decomposed body in a ravine in Hollywood Hills, per NBC News. Her hands and ankles had been bound together, and she had been wrapped inside a sleeping bag. There was evidence of blunt force trauma to the skull.
The authorities found no DNA evidence on the body, and they could not determine any sign of s**ual assault as the body was exposed to extreme weather elements.
3) The perpetrator was identified as Victor Paleologus
The perpetrator was identified as Victor Paleologus with the help of a composite sketch that was drawn due to Susan Murphy's statement. Paleologus had approached Susan 21 days earlier as Victor Thomas and had offered her a similar deal with the requirement to wear the same outfit.
Murphy had luckily identified the trap and escaped it to help the Santa Monica Police Department with the arrest. A parole officer had then informed the authorities of the sketch resembling one of her parolees, Victor Paleologus.
4) Paleologus had approached multiple women with the same modus operandi
Victor Paleologus was found to be a repeat s*x offender and had also served time for the r*pe of Heather Maher, per the Daily Mail. He had an extensive criminal record and had been out on parole in 2003. Two days after Kristi's disappearance, Victor was arrested for trying to steal a BMW in Beverly Hills.
The women who came forward with the stories of their encounters with Victor Paleologus included Susan Murphy, Laura Hayden, Alice Walker, Cathy DeBuono, and Heather Maher herself. There were around 40 witnesses at Paleologus's trial in 2006, per Oxygen.
5) Victor Paleologus was sentenced to 25 years in prison
The case against Victor Paleologus was based on circumstantial evidence and witness statements from at least 13 women, per Oxygen. He initially denied all crimes, but in a turn of events, he pleaded guilty to charges of first-degree murder and received 25 years in prison with the possibility of parole.
Paleologus again tried to withdraw his plea deal by writing an 11-page letter to the judge. The motion was denied. Victor Paleologus became eligible for parole in May 2023, but he took a voluntary deferment of two years, per Oxygen.
Catch all the details of Kristi Johnson's murder on the upcoming Dateline episode.
