True Crime with Kimbyr - A Hollywood Dream Turned Nightmare: The Tragic Case of Kristine Johnson

Episode Date: February 12, 2025

Christy Johnson had big dreams of making it in Hollywood, but she had no idea that a sinister predator was watching. Moving from a small town to the bright lights of Los Angeles,Kristine’s journey seemed like the beginning of something incredible—until it turned into a nightmare. What happened when she landed a job on a real movie set? Who was the dangerous figure lurking in the shadows? Join True Crime with Kimbyr as we uncover the heartbreaking case of Christy Johnson, a young woman whose life was stolen by pure evil. Watch now to uncover the truth! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It seems like it's every little girl's dream to grow up, become a princess, and live happily ever after. Christy Johnson grew up with so much ambition. Everyone knew she would do something big. One day her name would be in lights. They just didn't know that the reason she would be remembered is because of a monster with a very sinister plan. This is her story. Hi everyone, welcome back to my channel and if you've never been here before, before. I am Kimberlea. Nice to finally meet you. Today's case happened right here in Los Angeles,

and when I heard about it, I could imagine all of the locations that were being mentioned because I had been to many of them before. And actually, I had just stepped foot in one of the places about a week before I started looking into this case. It's another really twisted case that could really happen to anyone. Because I am here in LA, John and I decided to go and capture videos of our own and photos of the locations that I'm going to be talking about. You know how much I love to understand where all the different places were, how everything occurred. Okay, now I'd like to introduce you to Christine Louise Johnson. She was born February 22nd, 1981 in Santa Clara, California, to her mother and father, Teresa, who goes by Terry and Kirk Johnson. Before she was even out of diapers, the family moved from

California to the small town of Sagatuck, Michigan. It's like night and day going for a busy city to a quiet resort town with a population of only about a thousand people. It's a picturesque town. It's ideal to grow up in. It's nestled comfortably along the shimmering shores of Lake Michigan. It embodies the quintessential small town lifestyle, serene, secure, and close-knit. It's a type of place where roots run deep. Houses and cars are perpetually unlocked and evening bike rides are untravelled by safety concerns. At the heart of this community is an unspoken understanding that everyone knows everyone, and people grow close to their neighbors. It's also a very popular vacation spot during the summer when people flock to its sandy beaches

for that small town charm. It was where the Johnson family called home. It's where Terry rocked little Christine, who they called Christy, to sleep every night, sometimes singing to her. And one of her her favorite songs to sing to her was, You Are So Beautiful to Me. Later in life, it was still special to Terry, but also something Christy held as a fond childhood memory of bonding with her mother and a love that her mother had for her. Christy grew up in a loving home surrounded by her parents and her older brother, Derek. He was about four years older than Christy. The Johnsons were Episcopalian, and they made church a part of their weekly routine, instilling their faith and morals in their kids. But as devoted as they were to their children, Terry and Kirk realized the two of them were probably not

going to stand the test of time as a couple. It was tough. The family would never be the same, if they got divorced, but it was the best decision for the Johnsons. This was very hard on Christy. Now she would have to split her time between her mother and her father's house, but like many other children that have to go through it, it's a very hard adjustment at first and then it becomes your new normal. I know, I can relate to it. It's very traumatic for many children, even adults whose parents are going through a separation. That's exactly why so many parents stay together, because they want their kids to grow up in a home with both parents. But sometimes that just doesn't work out.

Luckily, Christy was very active, so her mind was not always fixated on the turbulence in her household. By 12 years old, she had already landed some small jobs here and there to make some extra spending money. Her father would joke and say that the only issue she had was keeping the jobs. She had an adventurous spirit. And that sometimes meant committing to one thing was a bit difficult, but Christy was still so young. But that's the thing. A lot of changes were happening while she was young, like her older brother Derek, leaving for the Air Force. It was bittersweet. He was moving on in his life, growing as a person and professionally,

but Christy cried and cried having to say goodbye. But high school took up most of her time. So, of course, she had things to look forward to in between the back and forth with her parents and now her brother being out of the house. Christy was also becoming her own person. And she stood out as she came into her own. As a matter of fact, She was almost impossible to ignore. She stood out even amidst the town's natural beauty with her big blue eyes and her blonde hair and full lips. She was stunning, but it wasn't just her physical attributes

that made her shine. It was her infectious laugh. It was loud and wild and it truly set her apart. When she laughed, so did everyone else. And as they say, it was a contagious laugh. She made you feel good about being in her presence. Chrissy was undoubtedly beautiful on the outside, but that was far from her.

her most alluring quality. She was warm and open and she had an innate ability to make people feel good about themselves. She loved nothing more than to share her happiness with others. It's something that made her dad really proud of her. He mentioned how people appreciated her openness and willingness to befriend those she met. In a small town, you have small schools and Chrissy's high school was no exception. Her larger-than-life personality filled the hallways and her iconic laughter echoed through the classrooms and the corridors. She left her mark wherever she went. While in high school, Chrissy got involved in sports,

but it wasn't the ones in school that she really loved. It was the one she did during the summer when she went to visit her grandmother back in Santa Maria, California. One was sailing. She really enjoyed it. But what she loved the most was surfing at Pismo Beach. When she was there, she felt like she was in her element. It felt like home to her. But of course, reality would strike when she had to go back,

to Michigan. She did her very best to find fun activities to get involved in and ended up as an active theater club member. It makes sense with her outgoing personality and her laugh and that smile. She was a natural. Terry said she could tell it was just something special about Christy. It wasn't just that she started turning heads. I mean, of course, Terry thought she was so beautiful, but she remembers thinking that Christy just had that something, even back in high school. Well, it's true, Christy would discover that something about herself, but for now, it was more important for her to make it out of high school. When summer painted Sagatuck with its warm hues, the town buzzed with tourists, flocking to the

picturesque beaches. And these were the times Christy and her friends cherished the most. They loved the vibrancy of their beloved hometown. But as Michigan's summer came to a close and the area emptied out, the town's charm gave way to an isolating quiet. The winters were harsh. They're long, sometimes lasting up to three or four months with temperatures regularly going below zero. This frigid season, it was so different from the warm and vibrant Christy.

It was a constant struggle for her. She did her best to buy her time until the weather warmed up again, like waitressing at a local cafe. The restaurant owner was delighted to have Christie on his staff because she was always cheerful and enthusiastic. Customers who interacted with her were always sure to have an enjoyable experience, and he said that her personality was magnetic. She had such a presence that they wanted her on their staff. She was always bright, happy, and smiling,

and when she manned the register, people enjoyed being in the shop because of her. Growing up in a town like Sagatuck, where even going to a movie theater is a luxury, it can ignite a yearning for something bigger. And it wasn't long before Christie's growing ambition became apparent to those around her, her relentless manifesting her dreams of escaping her quiet town.

And when I was reading about all this, I couldn't help think of another Christy, Christine Lazaro. from another video that I've done. They both had to endure these long winters and they were looking for an escape and they had very similar personalities, loud, infectious laughs, and big smiles.

Chrissy graduated in 1999 from Saggutuck High School, one of only about 60 other seniors in her class. At last, she felt free to start carving out an escape plan. Her high school graduation, quote, by Rolf Vahlstar, perfectly encapsulated her enthusiasm for the future. It said, quote, reach high for stars lie hidden in your soul.

Dream deep for every dream proceeds the goal." Her current goal was to go to college. She chose Western Michigan University out in Kalamazoo, which is about an hour inland from her home on Lake Michigan. It was going to be a change of scenery for one and a change of pace for another, meeting new people, going on an adventure outside of her small town.

Anything can be exciting when it's new. She was also working part-time. doing administrative work at a drilling company located in Holland, Michigan where her dad was living. This change suited her, for a while anyway. She made new friends, and she found a new hobby. Dancing at raves. Most of us know what a rave is, but actually I learned a few new things. There are plenty of parties to attend at college, house parties thrown by other students, sometimes Greek life parties at frat houses or sororities, but then there are warehouse parties. And one step up were the more exclusive ones, curated by entertainment companies.

that went above and beyond, and those were the raves that the cool kids wanted to attend. Raves began with the emergence of house music in the 80s. Lots of young people wanted a place to enjoy dancing, a fun atmosphere, and their favorite music, among other things that I'm sure you know are associated with the culture like MDMA or Ecstasy. There was a pretty well-known company in Detroit, Michigan, called Plur Kids, and they began throwing these massive parties. Everyone wanted it. And their flyers for the parties?

They were pretty famous. There are whole YouTube videos of people who have saved some of these flyers from the 90s. It was a really interesting culture, and I found a Facebook page, of course I did, called Detroit Raves 96-01, because I really wanted to get a feel for the way these raves went down and what Christine loved about them. The Facebook group consisted of people just posting memories and pictures of nostalgic places where the raves took place. And there were a ton of responses about how many memories it brought back.

Here's a flyer from back in 1910. back in 1999 when Christie was going to Detroit Raves. And this one I found to be pretty awesome. I just bought a refurbished Mac Clamshel laptop for my podcast set. But look at this design. It's cool, it's different, you'd feel special getting this flyer. It's like a golden ticket.

This one was from November 20th, 1999. It says the four-hour turntable tag team was Terry Mullen and Charles Feel Good. And they're meant to be kind of obscure. There's a guy showcasing one of the flyers from June 3, 2000 on a YouTube channel. And you can tell if the flyers are produced this one, well, the parties are probably outrageous and crazy and awesome. I'm saying all of this to say,

it made quite an impression on young Christy Johnson. But it still was not enough to make her want to stay in Michigan. Any chance she got, she escaped to the sunshine. During spring break, she and her friends went to Florida, and they ended up getting tattoos to memorialize that trip. Christy chose a hibiscus flower across her lower back. The next chance she got, she visited her paternal grandmother in California during the summer of 2000 after just two semesters at Western Michigan University. When she came back and experienced another bitter winter in Michigan, she knew this is not where she wanted to be. She would tell her mother that she just wanted to go back to California where she felt like there were more opportunities and better weather, and that's exactly what made me

want to move here myself. At 19, Christy was an adult, but of course a young adult. And moving across the country like that would probably not have been possible if it wasn't for the fact her grandmother lived there. So the decision was made. Christy would live with her grandma, Katie Johnson, and attend college in Santa Maria, California. This was an exciting time for her. Now she would get to experience all the things she loved year round. But Christy was a responsible teenager. She didn't just think she was going to lay around all day soaking up the sun. She got a job right away. This time as a a systems administrator for an electrical company. She also enrolled in classes at the local community with the intention to transfer to California Polytechnic University and study to become an engineer.

Maybe she was inspired by working at the electrical supply company or maybe the drilling business, and I'm not sure. But wow, the house she was living in, it was gorgeous. Just the weather, the bright blue sky, even just on Google Maps, you can tell how different it is than the dreary weather in Michigan. Here's where Santa Maria is located, to where Los Angeles is, for example, just to give you perspective on where in California she was living at this time. A few months after taking classes of the community college,

Christy went to tour the Cal Poly Campus, which is in San Luis Epispo, about 40 minutes away from her grandmother's house. It's to the north, further from Los Angeles, and closer to where her mother, Terry, had just moved. That's right. Her mom decided to move out to Northern California not too long after Christy made the move to Santa Maria,

even though they were still going to be about three and a half hours apart, they were still much close much closer than they would have been if Terry was back in Michigan. It made her feel good about Christy making such a big move. They talked on the phone every day, usually more than once, and they were very close. Christy shared everything with her mom, especially her experience while visiting this new school campus.

She knew she was going to enroll, and she began looking for jobs in the area. Now, I'm not sure where she was looking, but back then. I remember those days. We used Craigslist. It was really popular, so I wouldn't be surprised if that's where students were going. to look for work. And eventually, Christie finds a part-time job listing for a position on the set of an upcoming movie. Considering she has a background in theater, and of course, anything to do with movies would sound really exciting. Christy applied. She didn't think she was going to get it,

but to her surprise and delight, she got hired to work as an assistant on the set of a thriller called Murder by Numbers. If you don't remember or know about this movie, it premiered April 19, 2002. It's inspired by the true crime story of Leopold and Loeb, which I think I did a video about back when I first started true crime. Two very gifted high school students try to execute the perfect murder. In the movie, they're two rich kids growing up in California who get together to try to mastermind this murder and pin it on other people. So while this was in production, the cast and crew were filming all over San Luis Obispo and Christie was joining them. For someone like her from a very small town, this was huge. These were superstars. And,

And this experience sparked something inside of Christy. She was now making friends and getting to know people who lived and breathed everything Hollywood related. She realized this could be a new direction for her professionally. She really liked being on set and actually she wanted to be part of what went on behind the scenes. So she decided to enroll in makeup classes at the makeup designer school in Burbank. She would be learning professional makeup artistry from licensed instructors with expertise in film, television, and fashion. Christy also realized, in order to pursue this new goal, she would probably need to move closer to where everything was going on. But she faced that daunting journey ahead.

Los Angeles seemed like a world away. Even from Santa Maria. That was just a taste of California, but the call of her dreams was stronger than the fear of the unknown, and she was ready to step into this exciting new chapter of her life. Christy decided to move to West Hollywood on Palm Avenue where she would be closer to jobs in movie production. A lot of studios are in Hollywood. Hollywood and in Burbank. That's where Disney, DreamWorks, Warner Brothers Studios are, just to name a few. She figured being close by would open up many doors for her. I was actually drawn to the story for

this part specifically because I too got involved in production on reality TV back in Florida when I was studying entertainment law. I moved to Hollywood to continue working behind the scenes and I can tell you it is a fast pace and exciting lifestyle. There's something new happening every single day. And as a makeup artist like Christy was training to become, you get to literally be face to face with the biggest stars in the industry. Plus, it's much easier to get on the set as a professional than landing a role as an actor. So it's a good way to kind of get your foot in the door. And you can also make a pretty decent amount of money, but there's still a lot of competition. She knew it was a gamble, but with a dash of luck, she believed that she could make it. Little did she know

how swiftly and dramatically fortunes can change. So just like that, Christy left the comfort and security of her grandmothers in Santa Maria, and she moved to Los Angeles, a sprawling city teeming with 3.7 million residents, L.A., the city of angels, where stars are born and dreams become reality. It was a stark contrast to the life Christy was used to. Now, during my research, I read a lot of blog posts, articles, and even watched some shows about this case. And most of them made it seem like Christy came out to L.A. with the intention to go straight into Hollywood and become this big star. And that was why she made the move in the first place, but that's not accurate. family in California. She was born there. Her mother, Terry, moved back to Northern California

to be close to her. It's where she felt at home. It wasn't Christy's plan. Santa Maria was not close to Hollywood or L.A., but once she started taking those makeup classes in Burbank and working on sets of various productions in high fashion shoots, her passion grew. But this is hard work. It's hours of standing on your feet. It's driving all around Los Angeles in some of the most congestive areas, finding parking, not getting benefits like medical insurance, and as fun as it was to begin with, it started to wear on Christie. I mean, right now, in Hollywood,

writers and actors are stopping production to protest their contracts because they're not being paid their worth. So just imagine someone like Christie in an even lower position. They don't call them starving artist for nothing. In her new city, Christie began the search for more job opportunities, but she quickly realized that LA wasn't as welcoming as her hometown.

She may have been a standout in Sagittuck, but in Hollywood, young dreamers like her were everywhere. It was tough for her to find work. It was very competitive. And Christy was just waiting for that big break. But everyone knows that they don't come easily in the film industry. But at least she felt like she found her footing professionally and just needed to keep pushing. Christy's next goal was to have a social life, taking one more step towards making L.A. her new home. The flashy, upskill club scene of L.A. initially was very overwhelming for.

for Christy, but it wasn't long before she found friends that made the new environment less intimidating. Among them was Aaron Garcia. The first time he met her, he remembered her walking in, lighting up the room, and he immediately knew she's not from L.A. Together they explored something familiar to Christy, the rave scene. But the L.A. scene was new to her, and she was swept up in the excitement. Her city-wise friends found Christy's small town charm a refreshing change, because despite her strikingly good looks, which usually is associated with vanity or being superficial, people were pleasantly surprised by her big heart. However, Christy was a bit naive, and sometimes that made her vulnerable. The rave scene can be filled with drugs and dubious individuals.

It wasn't without its challenges for the trusting young woman from a small Michigan town. Because she was so beautiful, she was constantly being hit on by men, so she had to learn to navigate this new world with all its potential dangers. As adventurous as she she was, she also liked to stick to what she knew. And she knew a guy that she was already interested in. His name was Todd. They had met a couple years before and they began dating up until he moved away. But they kept in touch. And it wasn't long before they decided to move in together in West LA, splitting the rent because it was much better than paying for it in full. Although financial stability for now 20-year-old Christy was still a struggle. But she wasn't giving up. In July of 2002,

She wrote her dad, very excited, addressing him saying, Hey, Daddy-O, before telling him how excited she was that she was working on an upcoming music video. She said, quote, I was so nervous when I got down here, but I knew this is what I wanted, so I stuck with it, and now I'm on my way, end quote. She really felt like she was making it slow but steady.

However, she still found herself grappling with professional uncertainty. Her career seemed stuck in neutral. After her initial foray into the movie industry as a production assistant, finding the next step in her Hollywood journey proved to be challenging. But still clinging to her dreams, Christy began looking for a day job to make ends meet. That wasn't the only challenge she was facing. As many young couples come to find out, there was a honeymoon phase to relationships, and it had passed for her and Todd.

Their relationship was unraveling. Finances were tight. Loyalty was being tested, and their arguments were escalating, leading to some terrifying moments for Christy. She confided in her mother about what was happening. She felt trapped because she couldn't afford to be out there on her own, but she also recognized the danger of staying in a toxic relationship that had started to become physical. Terry wanted to help.

Terry started to look for places where Christy could move somewhere that she could share with other women roommates. While her mom was on the search for an apartment, Christy was looking for a job. This was all the wake-up call for her. Even though it was exciting, Christy started to think that maybe it was a good idea to go back to school and get a degree.

That way she would have something to fall back on in case this Hollywood thing didn't work out. Just a few months after that message to her dad where she seemed to have it all figured out, she was now in the process of trying to find her footing again. Her dad would graciously wire her money anytime she was in a bind. So fortunately, Christy wasn't completely on her own. Her parents, despite the reservations, provided financial support. Her mom helped her by gifting her a car, a white convertible, 1996 Mazda Miata, paying her cell phone bill and supplementing her rent.

This would help ease her transition into this new phase of her life. Like many people in the arts, she found herself working outside of her field of interest. By November 2002, Christy finally landed a job doing data entry at a cellular company called CNCG and Marina del Rey, which is a little out of the way from West Hollywood. Like it would be a drive, so she and her mom started looking for apartments in that area, but they had no luck. Finally, Terry was able to find her something in her price range. She would be splitting the rent with two other women. It wasn't in Marina Del Rey, but close enough in Santa Monica, which is a beautiful,

which is a beach town in LA, it's very, very pretty. It was a three-bedroom apartment with a gated parking garage that Christie would be sharing. This is 29th Street, a very residential area. It isn't walking distance to the beach, but close enough to get down there and experience beach life, which we know that Christy loved. It's also a central location.

It's close enough to LAX for traveling, and also if you want to go out to Hollywood for production-related jobs. But at this point, Christy had decided to enroll at Santa Monica College. She worked weekdays all day from 9 to 6, and then she took classes at night, hoping to transfer to UCLA after about a year. Her move-in date to this apartment was December 19, 2002. Just a couple months later, February 2003,

21-year-old Christy's two years in L.A. had not unfolded as she had hoped. Her day job was unfulfilling. Her career was stalled. Her relationship had ended badly. Her dreams were far from being realized. But despite these setbacks, Christy remained determined.

Her dad even tried to convince her to return to Michigan, but she was hesitant to abandon her Hollywood dreams. She clung to the belief that her big break was coming. Christy knew exactly what she wanted to do. She just had to figure out how to make it happen. Her birthday was coming up that month on the 22nd, and Valentine's Day had just passed. Now there was a long weekend for President's Day,

and that meant fun. The streets of L.A. are crowded with more people whenever there's a holiday and they don't have to go to work on Monday. Although Christy was scheduled to work Monday, the 17th President's Day, since her workplace was still open, But she wanted to enjoy her weekend at least, so she planned on going to a rave on Saturday night, February 15th.

In that case, she needed to buy a few things from the mall. Her mother called her that morning as usual, and as they spoke, she told Christy that she would give her some early spending money for her birthday, so just buy whatever she wanted at the mall, and Terry would deposit money into her account to cover it later. By that afternoon, Christy was on her way. The closest mall to where she was was the famous Century City Mall in Santa Monica. I was just there last month, and it's gorgeous. It's very upscale. And the history is interesting.

It was actually built on the back lot of Fox Studios in 1964. The studio sold the land to offset their budget on the Cleopatra movie. About a block away, you're walking on the Avenue of the Stars, one of the first streets in the town of Century City that was formed on this back lot of Fox. I don't like going to this part of town at all because I don't like driving there. It's way too much for me. But for a 21-year-old, this would be ideal for some L.A. shopping. Christy headed out and as usual, she talked to her mom about all of her plans for that holiday weekend,

but there wouldn't be anything usual about this weekend at all. As the phone conversation ended, Terry and Christy said, I love you to one another before hanging up, as they did with every phone call. Later, Terry wanted to know how the shopping trip went, so she tried calling her daughter, but she never answered. Terry knew how busy Christy was going to be hanging out with friends and having a good time, so she figured she would catch up with her the next day. But that's the thing.

The next day on Sunday, when Terry would usually get a call from her daughter, she never received one. So she tried calling Christy and again received no answer. Terry paid for Chrissy's phone so that she would always be able to contact her. So this was a bit worrisome, especially since the phone was going straight to voicemail. Isn't that always the sign? Terry knew that she paid the bill, so she thought,

okay, maybe after a long night of party, and Chrissy's phone died, and she just hadn't charged it before going to bed. We come up with the most logical reasons first. But by Sunday evening, Terry was getting more concerned. She still hadn't heard from her daughter. But again, figured Christy was just busy. If need be, she would reach out Monday morning because she knew Christy would be at work. And that's exactly what she did.

Again, Monday morning, Christy's cell was still going to voicemail. Maybe she lost it. Maybe it broke. Only a few minutes past 9 a.m., Terry decided to call Chrissy's workplace. She typically picked up the phone at her desk, but this time it rang and rang until Terry got Christy's recorded message. Frustrated, Terry decided to call the main phone number, and she reached Christy's manager. She asked if Christy was there and if there was a reason why she wouldn't be answering her phone.

And this was the moment when things got even more concerning. The manager told Terry that Christy had not shown up that morning. Terry asked if they knew where she would be, and the manager said, no, we don't. She's always been so reliable over the last three months of employment. She never missed one shift, and if she was running even a little behind,

which only happened maybe once or twice, she would let them know. They said the last time they saw her was in the office on February 14th Friday. The manager explained that her coworkers were surprised when Christy didn't show up. One of them was a good friend of hers. He knew she had plans to attend a rave on Saturday.

Saturday night. She had told him about it on Friday, but she never mentioned where it was going to be. Terry didn't know what to do. She quickly got in touch with her ex-husband, Chrissy's father, Kirk, in Holland, Michigan, and told him what was going on. They agreed if Chrissy didn't turn up that day, they would have to go to the police. Meanwhile, Terry had an idea. She logged online to Chrissy's cell phone account as well as her bank account, which they shared, but neither one of them had any information that would help her locate her daughter. She also called her older son Derek and informed him about what was going on. No one in her family had heard from her since Saturday.

She'd had enough. She called the Santa Monica Police Department to report her 21-year-old daughter missing. First, they wanted to check to see if anyone by the name Christine Johnson or someone matching her description had been in any reported vehicle accidents since Saturday, and there were no matching reports. The officer proceeded to advise Terry to try contacting hospitals in the surrounding area just to be sure that Christy hadn't hadn't had a medical emergency and had been admitted.

Terry tried every hospital with no luck. So she called back Officer Mark Holland from Santa Monica PD and told him she wanted to make an official report that Christine Johnson was not accounted for and therefore missing. Think about saying those words. It's terrifying. Of course, they were still trying to get in touch with her roommates and anyone else who may know where Christy is,

but they needed help. Terry was over three hours away and Kirk was back in Michigan, but he promised to fly straight to California if Christie didn't show up by Tuesday. Terry gave Officer Holland all Chrissy's info, that she was 5'9, around 140 pounds, blonde hair, blue eyes, slender billed, and that she had a geometric hibiscus flower tattoo across her lower back, drove a 1996 white Mazamiata with a black convertible top with a California license plate. She also let him know that she recently had a tumultuous relationship with a guy named Todd Kalabas and that they both lived in West Hollywood apartment together before she moved in with her two

roommates. Terry also explained that her and Christy shared a bank account. She paid for Christy's phone, so she had access to all of the records. That was pertinent information. Officer Holland got to work pretty quickly. He wanted to rule out the possibility that perhaps Christy and her roommates had gone somewhere for the weekend or that they may know where she is. So he was able to get into contact with one of the girls that she lived with, Carrie Barish. For the record, I don't know if this is her real name. A lot of people's names are protected for privacy reasons, but obviously we need to call her something, so we're going to call her Carrie, so it's not confusing. So Officer Holland, he asked her when the last time she had seen Christy was and whether she knew where she was now.

Carrie was surprised that a cop was calling her, but she told him that Christy was just going about her normal routine. She had only known her about three months, so she didn't have intimate details about Christy's personal life. But she was just auditioning, shopping, partying, hanging out, working the usual. nothing out of the ordinary. She said she saw her on Saturday afternoon. Christy had just returned from the mall and she was rushing around getting ready for an audition and then she had to hurry to a party

that she had paid for and RSVPed to. So of course, Officer Holland is like, can we talk in specifics here? Do you know where these things were? Like, where's the audition? Where's the party? But Carrie said she had no idea in regard to the locations. This was not much information to go on.

And Holland had to gather as much as he could because he was going to provide it to detectives when they took over the case for an investigation. But by 2 p.m. February 17th, he was armed with all the information that we know right now. He handed off the case to veteran detective Virginia Open Chain. She had been working at the Santa Monica Police Department for almost two decades.

She'd seen it all, especially working in L.A. As soon as Detective Oben Chain is briefed on Chrissy's case, she got a really sick feeling. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. She got chills. That's because certain aspects of this case reminded her a lot of another case from L.A. that happened back in 1996. It involved a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, aspiring actress and model who was a Los Angeles Raiders cheerleader, 27-year-old Linda Sobeck.

She had also talked to her mother the last day she was seen, and she was going to a last-minute photo shoot before an audition that she landed for the TV show Married with Children. It was on November 16th, 1996, but when her mom reached out later to find out how everything went, She wasn't able to get in touch with Linda. Linda's father, Bob, her mother Elaine, and her brother, Steve hadn't heard from her in a couple days. This is this sound familiar? So they made a police report, and eventually the police linked a photographer named Charles Rathbun, and he admitted that he met Linda to discuss a portfolio, but that he didn't know where she was.

Well, it turns out, this man, this other man, the stranger, he finds photos of a woman out in the middle of the Angeles National Forest, and that was odd. So we hands him over to police because he saw The news about Linda being missing and he thought the woman in the photos looked like her. Sure enough, that was Linda. So investigators go out to this forest area and they find a day planner and a car rental agreement in the trash. On the agreement was that name, Charles Rathbun. He breaks down and he admits that he was shooting Linda for a car magazine.

He rented a Lexus SUV to get some really cool shots of her driving in the desert, but he has no idea where she was. Well, there was blood found on that car, so they knew he was lying, so he finally told him that he was driving the car. And he was going towards her and he lost control and ran her over by accident. And then he was scared and he buried her in the Angeles National Forest. This man later showed investigators the shallow grave where Linda's body was. But her injuries were not consistent with the car crash and the car didn't have any damage.

So things were not adding up. The autopsy showed that she had been engaged in a sexual act, which they suspected was forced, and she had most likely been exfixated. Charles tried changing a story many times saying that, oh, was consensual. It was part of the deal. That many photographers know how these things work. Ew. That's just gross.

But ultimately, it was found that he lied to Linda from the beginning. He lured her out into the desert to force her into relations with him and then kill her. How sad. And this was making national headlines back then. And it's a case that so many people in Hollywood remember many women afraid to work with photographers after hearing that because they thought they might be next. Obenchain didn't want to jump to conclusions. Because statistically speaking, the city

is saturated with beautiful young women and men that are aspiring models and actors. One of them is bound to end up missing, maybe on their own volition. Because perhaps the Hollywood dream just didn't work out and they left to go back home. So she needed to create a timeline and gather more information. The biggest piece of evidence they had to go on right now was the information about her car. They put out a bowl. Officers were to be on the lookout for a white convertible Mazda Miata. Next, Oben Chain interviewed Terry. She asked her to try to recall anyone her daughter mentioned in the recent past, and she said, well, there's this guy, Lucas,

that Christy told her mom was very attractive, and that he was living in her apartment building, but moving out soon, and asked her to go on a trip to Hawaii with him. And there was also her recent ex-Todd. That's when Terry admitted that there were times that Christy and Todd had physical altercations. He was possessive over her, locked her out of her apartment, and even out of her own car once.

That didn't sound very good. The detective knew that that was going to be one of the next people she wanted to interview, but she did have some good news for Terry. There were no reports of any bodies at the coroner office that matched Christy's description, and any others had already been identified. I guess that would be relieving,

but it also meant that this detective was already thinking that Christy could be dead. How heartbreaking for a parents have to hear that, but they can't rule anything out. Their goal, of course, was to find Christy before anything bad happened. The weekend had already passed. It had been 48 hours, and we know that those are the most crucial hours of a missing person's investigation.

I can't imagine being a detective on the case, because all of that on your shoulders. I mean, when I'm researching these cases, I work all day and all night. I can only imagine a detective and how invested they are. They probably don't get any sleep. I know they don't get any sleep. Day two of this investigation, open chain,

began looking into the limited cell phone data that she could pull up at the time, and it wasn't like it was today. But what she could ascertain was that the last outgoing call from Christie's phone was at 5.34 p.m. and it was to 4.4 p.m., and it was to 4. 411. Back then, you called 411 when you needed an operator to assist you with something. It's usually related to a phone number or an address. And that call was three minutes in length. This seemed important to open chain. Had Christy gotten lost somewhere, maybe she was stranded and then her phone died. They were able to tell that it pinged off a tower on Ventura Boulevard, but they couldn't give an exact location. And that radius is pretty large. The next step was contacting the media. Because as much as these days, it seems like a double-edged sword,

you know, there's so many cases that are solved from media attention. But then you also get the fake leads, people wanting to inject themselves in the case for their five minutes of fame, especially here in L.A. So as apprehensive as detectives like Open Chain were, they also knew the value in making the public aware of what was going on because there could be a kidnapper out there or worse. She started compiling photos of Chrissy to make posters

to give to the local news stations. and of course, once the local media got a hold of this information, you probably can guess what the headlines said. Beautiful, blonde, aspiring model and actress missing may have been headed to meet a photographer, even though that wasn't really the exact facts given. But, of course, with so many people working in the entertainment industry, this is going to bring a lot more attention to the case.

It's going to make a lot of people feel unsafe. They're going to feel scared. And it's going to affect them more because they can relate. The media knew that. Plus, with the Linda Sobe case still so fresh in everyone's minds, it was like they were having horrible flashbacks to those same headlines in 1996. Most, if not all the articles I read from February 20th, said 21-year-old Santa Monica woman,

who may have been on her way to Beverly Hills to meet a photographer, has not been seen for five days. And of course, they went on to give a description of her car that her family and friends were concerned, and if anyone had any information to please call the Santa Monica Police Supposed. Open Chain had a search warrant for Chrissy's apartment, and investigators were scouring every room looking for anything that could leave them to her whereabouts.

They also collect items that may have DNA on them in case they need it later, like a toothbrush, a hairbrush, discarded food, that sort of thing. While conducting the search investigators found something that seemed relevant. A receipt from a lingerie store, the date was February 15th, the day that Christy went missing. This was collected, and now that the last day that Christy went missing.

This was collected. the investigators are reaching out to Bank of America to get a detailed report of all the retail locations Christy bought items from that day. Now this lingerie store is famous in LA. If you live here, you've gone there or you know about it. It's a bright pink building and it's actually a private store. You need to purchase a $2 membership in order to shop. This is a rule that was put in place so that it would deter people from going in there for the wrong reasons.

Their website says if you're in the Los Angeles area, And you want to shop where the stars go, like Jennifer Lawrence, Jennifer Anderson, Gwendozao, Emma Stone, Milakunis, just to name a few. There's a whole bunch you can see them on the screen. Where they shop for all their intimates, then you'll need to purchase a membership to Trashy Laundierre, which is the name of the store. And although it's called the lingerie store, and they do focus on intimate apparel, they also have costumes, shoes, hats, wigs, swimwear, and there are so many theme parties and Playboy

mansion parties here in LA. so people shopped there for much more than just lingerie. The detectives know Christy was planning to go to a rave, so she most likely bought something for her outfit. It's another clue to look into on top of many others, like examining Christy's work computer. Posters are being handed out at this point, especially where they knew she was going that day,

the Century City Mall. By the end of the first week, the detectives had collected a lot of useful tips, and they had come from friends and family members, and now they had a few more things to look into. There was even more information given to them about her ex Todd. Her roommate Carrie mentioned that Christie had just visited him that past weekend, February 7th, before she went missing. Todd had moved out to Santa Maria where Chrissy's grandma lived, and she drove out there a lot anyway, so she went and stopped by to see him and hang out with her ex.

The last time Carrie saw Christy. She was actually wearing an outfit that she purchased on that trip. A pair of low hip huggers. They were Baby Blue, Corduroy, and they had slits in the bottom near the ankles, along with fringe on them. Her shirt was a sleeveless white top with light blue tiny stripes that matched perfectly with her pants. Now they know what she was probably wearing when she left her apartment,

and that was vital in asking the public if they had seen her. Analysts have been checking her computer and they got into her email account. And that's when they find their next big lead. An email that Christy sent to an event coordinator on Thursday morning, February 13th. It was in relation to that rave on Saturday night.

Apparently, Christy found out about the party online. It was happening in downtown LA in a two-story industrial warehouse. She sent an email to the coordinator talking about how she hadn't gone out in a while and she was really looking forward to this event because of the lineup.

It reminded her of back in the day when she used to go to Polar Kids shows in Detroit. But she was informed that afternoon in a response email that the tickets were already sold out. However, the coordinator said that he would put Chrisie's name on a special list, but it didn't mean she would she had a ticket or this was a formal admission of any kind.

It all depended on how many people were showing up. However, upon further investigation, the detectives determined that this was just kind of an advertisement. They try to hype up these events and make them sound really exclusive, only to give you a link later to buy tickets or to buy VIP tickets. That way, they can upsell you. It wasn't clear if Christie knew all of that at the time, but she did have plans to attend this event

because she had told people like her coworker that she was going on Saturday. By now, investigators have a couple more names that they need to check out. Lucas, from the apartment building for one. They connect with him, and it turns out he admits he ran into Christy. She was walking up from the parking garage that Saturday afternoon. He said she was her usual, excited, happy self, and mentioned she was in a rush to get to an audition and then head out to a party. Same thing we already heard.

He also provided an alibi, and it checked out. Carrie had also mentioned that there was a lot. was some random guy over visiting Christy on the night of the 14th on Valentine's Day. But it wasn't her ex. They make the link when a tip comes in from this guy. He admits being over there that he's just a friend of hers, they watch a movie together, and he left sometime after midnight. They met through the rave scene about a year earlier. So now that they know that he has information about raves, they figured, okay, it's common knowledge that the rave scene is full of drugs and interesting characters. So had something happened.

Had she maybe disappeared from the rave, they started asking him, what did Christie do with these parties? Was she a big drinker? Did she do drugs? And he said, you know, I don't know her to be the type of person to do drugs. She just liked to dance to the music. He never saw her heavily intoxicated or doing drugs. Okay, so they didn't get too much further here, but finally they tracked down Christy's ex, Todd.

And her circle of friends told them he didn't take the break up very well at all. Police were beginning to have their suspicions about him. So he was brought in for questioning. Todd was determined to clear his name and prove his innocence. He was willing to do whatever it took. He told the detectives that he loved Christine very much and he would never hurt her. He willingly took the 100-mile drive from Santa Maria to Santa Monica for an interview. They first asked him, how did you two meet?

He said it was back in 2000. They were at an event in San Bernardino while Christy was visiting her grandma one year, and they connected. They were just friends until he helped. just friends until Halloween of 2000, that's when they became an item. And they dated for about a year until Todd moved away to Texas, but they kept in touch here and there. About a year ago, February 2002, Christy flew out to Texas to visit him. They had a really good time and wanted to continue seeing each other, even though it was long distance. But in April, on another trip to Texas, they discussed moving in together. They talked about everything. Christie's living

situation being by herself in Hollywood and struggling. So Todd agreed to move out and in with her in California. They tried making it work, but he said that the issues were about Christy not having a steady job and them disagreeing on boundaries with the opposite sex. With her going to auditions and all of that, it just wasn't working out. And actually, it did become physical as it was rumored. Todd insisted it was actually Christy that started to hit him. It was before Thanksgiving, November 2002. He only hit back in response. He said he slapped her a couple times and he did lock her out of her car. But that was because he didn't want her to drive away in anger and get hurt. They didn't know what to believe. But he did tell them that soon after that, he moved out. Now to the more important question,

did he know where Christie was? He said no. They asked him where he was on February 15th and he said he was all the way out in Santa Maria that day. To prove his alibi, Todd provided the police with evidence that he had been dirt by and gave them several of his friends to check with. It turns out his alibi was corroborated by his friends. So there you have it. Todd is ruled out as a person of interest, at least for the time being. They're trying hard to pin down a timeline

of the last time Christy was seen, so they get in touch with the rave coordinator. And they want a copy of the guest list. They were actually shocked when they saw it. Christy's name was not crossed off. This meant she never made it to the party. But of course, they needed to press even further, so they asked the coordinator if she was sure that Christie hadn't shown up.

She said yes. Her mom, her brother, and four of her friends are responsible for checking each person's identification. There were 135 people that entered, and when they did, each one of them were marked off the list to make sure they were accounted for mostly so they don't ask for refunds. So what happened to Christy? Well, Christy's bank records are finally faxed over, and this helps a lot with the timeline. According to her debit card transactions,

Christine made a purchase at 1145 that morning on February 15th at a Starbucks on Santa Monica Boulevard. Then 1158, a transaction was made at a 76 gas station also on Santa Monica Boulevard. So now they know she probably filled up her tank for her plans that she had later. So could they rule out that she ran out of gas somewhere and was in trouble on account of that?

They don't know. But it seems more likely that wasn't the case.