Lethally Blonde on ID: What happened to Kimberly Pandelios?

The 1992 disappearance of model and mother Kimberly Pandelios ended up shaking the world of her loved ones. Pandelios had stepped out for a work assignment when she was last seen in her Southern California neighborhood in February that year.

While Pandelios' car was found torched near the Monte Cristo Campground, her skeletal remains and clothing were recovered from the same area in March 1993. Kim Pandelios was s*xually assaulted and drowned to death in a forest creek by David Rademaker who had reportedly set up the work assignment under the name of Paul.

The Lethally Blonde episode, titled A Model Murder, covers the brutal murder of 21-year-old Northridge resident Kimberly Pandelios. The official synopsis reads:

"An aspiring model, Kimberly Pandelios, accepts an offer to pose in lingerie for a mysterious photographer, then disappears; years later, a young woman contacts the police when she begins to suspect that her boyfriend may have been the killer."

The sixth episode of Lethally Blonde airs on April 29, 2024, at 10 pm EST on Investigation Discovery.

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Who was Kimberly Pandelios?

Hossanna Kimberly Spector Pandelios, better known as Kimberly Pandelios, was born on November 13, 1971, in Havana, Cuba to parents Roberto Spector and Magaly Bernal. According to the Los Angeles Daily News, Kimberly's family had moved to Reading, Pennsylvania in 1980 for better opportunities.

She was an ambitious woman with aspirations of being a computer scientist and had enrolled herself at the Pennsylvania State University. She met her husband, Peter, at his band's event in her college years and the two settled down in Florida later.

Kimberly and Peter moved to Los Angeles in November 1991 after the birth of their son, Nicholas. Pandelios enrolled herself as a student at California State University, Northridge, but reportedly struggled to make ends meet financially. She had turned to modelling assignments to earn an extra buck.

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How did Kimberly Pandelios go missing?

On February 27, 1992, Kimberly had left 13-month-old Nicholas to his babysitter before she had stepped out for the day. According to the Los Angeles Daily News, Kimberly had visited a salon after an appointment where she had excitedly described her upcoming meeting with Paul.

Pandelios had responded to a model-wanted advertisement in the local weekly newspaper which was calling for women to shoot for lingerie in a shoot location in the Burbank-Glendale area, per the Los Angeles Times. However, her family members started worrying after she failed to return home the same day.

The next day, a Chrysler Laser was spotted on fire near the Monte Cristo Campground in the Angeles Forest by an off-duty police officer. The sports car was registered to Kimberly and contained her charred spiral notebook inside it.

While Pandelios' family continued to look for her desperately, the investigation went on till two hikers had reported discovering skeletal remains on March 3, 1993, in the area where Pandelios' torched car was found.

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What happened to Kimberly Pandelios?

The coroner's office confirmed that the dental records matched Kimberly Pandelios' DNA profile. The other evidence collected from the area included a pair of handcuffs, a shredded black bra, and panties. Pandelios' pelvic bone and skull were discovered first followed by her mandible bone. The court documents stated that the autopsy noted blunt force trauma on her jaw which led to a fracture.

Kimberly Pandelios' case had turned cold till it was reopened in 2003, and substantial leads led to the prosecution of David Rademaker in 2006. He is presently serving life in prison for murder charges. Per witness statements, Rademaker had r*ped Pandelios and forced her head under the water of a stream till she drowned to death.

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Catch A Model Murder on Investigation Discovery on April 29, 2024, at 10 pm EST.