True Crime with Kimbyr - PART 1 Model Murdered After a Night Out Alone - The Tragic Case of Christina Carlin-Kraft | True Crime

Episode Date: December 19, 2025

In TRUE CRIME WITH KIMBYR, Kimbyrleigha explores the heartbreaking case of Christina Carlin-Kraft, a successful model whose decision to go out alone one night ended in tragedy. Who was watching her, and how did a routine evening turn fatal? With compassionate storytelling and detailed analysis, TRUE CRIME WITH KIMBYR examines the timeline, relationships, and unanswered questions surrounding her murder, honoring Christina’s life while uncovering the chilling truth behind a case that shocked her community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Hi, everyone. Welcome back to my channel. I'm Kimberlea. If you've never been here before, it's nice to finally meet you. So today, I'll be introduced. you to Christina Carlin Craft. It was the early morning hours in the summer of 2018 when Christina slowly blinked her eyes open. The morning light was streaming into the room and her head was pounding. She was struggling to make sense of where she was and how she got there.

She fought past the pain and confusion and she started to assess her surroundings. As she took in the familiar walls in the room, she realized she was in her, apartment right where she was supposed to be, except something wasn't right. First of all, Christina only had fleeting memories of the night before at a bar that she'd gone to for just a couple of drinks. There was no memory of how she got back home. She knew there could be no way. She'd gotten too drunk to remember or had she somehow. Maybe she overdid it, blocked out, was so inebriated

that she has no memory of how she managed to make it back to her apartment. But thankfully, she was safe. But as soon as Christina got out of bed, there was something else that caught her attention. As she stumbled through her apartment, sifting through her belongings to make sense of this strange morning, she realized that many of her things that had been inside of her apartment were missing.

Her credit cards, her designer purses, jewelry, all gone. And that's when she realized she'd been robbed. This triggered a more chilling. thought. Had she been drugged to a point of unconsciousness by someone who intended to violate her space and steal some of her most prized possessions? What else could they have done to her? That was a frightening thought. At that very moment, Christina felt angry and fearful. She was terrified of being all alone in that apartment, which had once seemed to be a safe place where she was protected. There's no doubt that that feeling lingered for days until she found the courage to go out on the town again.

She was determined that this one incident, as scary as it might have been, was not going to break her. Sadly, only four days after Christina woke up in this days, realizing her home had been broken into, she was found dead in that very same apartment. Christina was living in Ardmore, which is a suburb in Philadelphia, a place that's steeped in history. Though it's not too far away from the city center, it has maintained its small town feel. It still has a vibrant nightlife, but it seems quieter, and it's more sheltered from the big dangers of the city. The allure of being just close enough to the humdrum while still feeling safe and secure is what drew 36-year-old Christina Carlin Kraft and her fiance Alex to Ardmore. Before moving to the sleepy suburb, Christina's life had been

anything but quaint and quiet. Christina was born and raised in New Jersey and had always dreamed of a life in front of the camera and flashing lights. While some girls dream of a corner office on Wall Street or a simple life with two kids, a loving husband and a white picket fence, Christina daydreamed about her beautiful face being splashed across the cover of the biggest magazines in the world. And while it is true, the entertainment industry has destroyed the dreams and hopes of millions, Christina had what it took to make it big and she knew it. She was incredibly beautiful. Her light blue eyes and cascades of dark brown hair drew people in, but she was more than that.

There was a light behind those eyes that shined so brightly, people couldn't help but notice. She had star power, and soon this charisma would get her her dream job. One step closer to the big lights. But let's go back to the beginning. before she really found success as a model. Christina Rose Carlin Craft was born on November 11th, 1981, in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, to Stuart Kraft and Don Ann Carlin. She had two younger brothers, Brian and Josh, and one younger sister, Kelsey.

Brian was only two years younger than Christina, but tragically, their mother passed away in 1990 when Christina was nine and Brian was only seven. Eventually, Christina's father, Stewart, did go on to remarry a woman named Casey, and they had more children. Josh, who was 10 years younger than Christina, and finally, Kelsey, who was 19 years younger than Christina was. Kelsey was actually born when Christina was graduating from Limwood High School in New Jersey, and afterward she landed a job as a waitress on the Jersey Shore at Bargara Casino. Though this was a far cry from where she wanted to be, it wasn't a wasted experience. In May 2003, $1 million was invested in the Burgotta Casino to make it into a luxury resort, hoping it would draw in more tourists and stimulate the economy.

Christina was still working there, and on Labor Day that year, she met a man who would go on to become the love of her life. He was a banker named Alex Chicatelli. It was love at first sight. Christina and Alex just hit it off and jumped headfirst into a relationship that would span the greater part of 40. This was not your typical boy meets girl, and they live happily ever after romance. Christina had dreams, and she would stop at nothing to reach them. And luckily, Alex supported her aspirations, and soon enough, Christina's persistence started to pay off in her late teens. She landed a few modeling jobs with some of the biggest names in the world.

Vanity Fair, Maxim, Victoria's Secret. She was doing it. And one of Christina's close friends was Eva. They met on a three-day photo shoot for Maxim Magazine. Eva and Christina were chosen as the winners of a modeling contest, which featured girls from around the world. They became instant friends after the event. With the exposure from Christina and Eva's maximum photo shoot, Christina's modeling career skyrocketed. The photo shoot gained a lot of attention, and Christina's reputation grew as a model.

She was becoming a name in the industry. She started to become even more well-known and was getting booked for more high-profile jobs. she was living her dream. She had a loving man, a thriving career. What more could she ask for? Well, there was one thing. A job that Christina desperately wanted, but it had always alluded her.

It was the one goal she just couldn't seem to reach. It was the pinnacle of a glamour model's career, a way to show the world that you had finally made it and you were someone to remember. Christina wanted to be featured in Playboy magazine. Now I know that life is not for everyone. And whenever I research cases and I get to know each person that I learn about, I pull myself in their shoes. I try to understand and not pass judgment because it's really not my place.

But to be fair, Playboy back then was an iconic brand. And it was special to Christina. Playboy Enterprises logo depicting the head of a rabbit wearing a tuxedo bowtie. I'm sure you've seen it is still one of the most recognized trademarks in the world. The logo has been used since the 1950s and many very successful actresses and models got their start by posing in Playboy magazine. Pamela Anderson, Anna Nicole Smith, Jennifer McCarthy. The list goes on. So Christina was determined to follow in their footsteps.

The only problem is being offered an opportunity to pose for Playboy is not something that just happens very often. Sure, they were printing editions frequently, but the chances of getting a spread, let alone the centerfold, which is what women really want, that was basically slim to none. And I understand that while some people might think of Playboy as just a salacious organization that just promotes sex, to others, it was that quality that drew them to the organization. We can't forget the pop culture relevance that Playboy had in the early 2000s. And Playboy extended beyond just being a crumbled up magazine you'd find in your strange uncle's garage. It was a full-on-up. operation with its own clubs, clones, even apparel. And of course, in 2005, a hit reality show.

It was released following the lives and times of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner and his three live-in girlfriends. Viewers got a rare glimpse into what it was like in this private and seemingly very glamorous life of the women who were dubbed Playboy Playmates or bunnies. Viewers saw the Playboy mansion, the extravagant parties that were held there to cater to the rich and famous. Playboy had a reputation as more than just a company. It was a lifestyle, one that held a certain allure that others might not fully understand. Christina was one of the thousands of women who sent their photos in praying for the chance to be given the golden ticket into the glitzy world of the Playboy organization.

Competition for one of those spots is tough. And Christina would have been competing with countless other gorgeous women all hoping that Playboy would choose to be. choose them and propel them into the pages of legend. Despite the odds, that's exactly what happened to Christina. Just like she dreamed of, Playboy noticed that she had something special, that unidentifiable X factor. And in 2009, Christina got the call that she had been chosen as Cybergirl of the Week. Now the Cyber Girl of the Week was a model who was handpicked to appear on Playboy's online

subscription platform at the time called the cyber club. A brief bio would be written about the woman and posted on the site alongside a boudoir photo shoot. On the 4th of May 2009, Christina was given that opportunity. And granted, it was merely a stepping stone. It wasn't centerfold status. Christina was over the moon with gratefulness and excitement. Wearing a deep purple lace bra, the straps falling off her shoulders, Christina stared into the camera with her piercing blue eyes. Her full head of luscious brown locks, tumbled down her back. And though she was wearing not much else, she's cloaked in confidence, and that adds to her allure. In this photo shoot, Christina looks every bit like a Playboy model

that she's always dreamed of becoming. This shoot was a big deal for Christina. It gave her a ticket to the exclusive world of Playboy. Just like that, she was attending all the fancy Playboy parties, rubbing elbows with some of the biggest names in Hollywood. And one of the people that Christina met at these parties was the host. And technically her employer himself, Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy. She even posed in a picture with him at one of the events. I've personally visited the mansion for charity events several times, even swam in the grotto. It's famous.

And I totally see the appeal for many, even though I didn't share Christina's exact dreams. And for her attending these events was more about just the open bar and world-renowned DJs. It was also about getting some time with Hugh Heffner himself. After all, he was the man that would decide who was given that coveted title of Playboy Playmate. While Christina had posed for the online subscription platform and been invited to these parties, she was still considered to be on the lower end of the Playboy hierarchy. Becoming a Playboy Playmate meant that you were given the honor of appearing across the centerfold of the magazine, and only 12 girls a year were given this opportunity.

And one girl gets the grand prize a becoming. playmate of the year. Being a playmate is about more than just a centerfold, a feature, and a title. It makes you an ambassador for the brand. And if you're really lucky, you might even catch Heff's eye and be chosen to be one of his girlfriends. So as you can imagine, for someone with these dreams, this competition, the position for a playmate was fierce. And the selection process was more rigorous than it had been for picking the Cybergirl of the week. Christina had a real shot at becoming a playmate. Her cyber girl photoshoot was stunning. She had the looks, she had the personality, there was just one thing standing in her way, her age. And at the time, she was only 26 years old.

She's young by most people's standards, but that's considered downright ancient at Playboy. And in trying to stay away from having just blondes featured, they had picked way too many brunettes that year for the magazine. That's actually a thing. So with all those factors working against her, Christina discovered that she wasn't going to get the gig. And just like that, her time at Playboy reached its end as quickly as it had started, it's so easy to become old news in that industry. The death of a dream might leave anyone feeling lost and uncertain about how to go forward. Christina may have felt cast adrift trying to find a new direction in her life,

but it didn't take her long to find it. She had her sights set on being a model, and one rejection wasn't going to destroy those plans. Playboy was just one dream, but she had many more. So Christina set off for the modeling mecca, the Big Apple, New York City. Christina had hopes that perhaps there was something bigger and better than Playboy waiting for her in New York. She wanted to find a place where she could reinvent herself. So she gave it her best shot.

Unfortunately, in the excitement of being chosen as one of the lucky Playboy girls of the week, Christina might have overlooked one fact. Not many other brands want to work with a model. who once posed nude for a Playboy. It's just the harsh reality. And even now, Playboy has not been able to shake its public image of being pretty sleazy, some might even say cheap, which means brands and agencies can be reluctant

to work with anyone who's been part of that world. As beautiful and vivacious as Christina was, she was not immune to the brutal reality of the modeling world. She put her heart and soul in defining modeling gigs in New York. She attended castings and her castings auditions, and while she did get positive feedback about her looks, it was never enough. She never landed the job she wanted. And eventually, with nothing left for her in New York, Christina decided to move into a high-end apartment with her fiancé that he leased for them

just outside of Philadelphia and Ardmore called The Square. It's in a cute neighborhood, and the building has an on-site gym, spacious rooms, and modern appliances, and it's far from living in New York City. But it's a really comfortable place to be. The The town had everything you could need within walking distance, including a few pubs and cafes, and it's not too far from the city, so Christina was still able to go to castings if that was her goal. But of course, as a busy banker in New York, Alex felt like he didn't have as much time to be by his beloved fiancé's side as much as he wanted to be, or maybe needed to be. Christina spent her days traveling across the city to go on castings, but at least Alex knew she was safe when she was home at their apartment.

It was in a close-knit, more affluent community, but it is still well-documented, the models, especially glamour models, often find themselves taken advantage by others, especially men. Men will buy into this fantasy that the model's there for their satisfaction, and they feel a sense of entitlement to be part of that fantasy. Alex thought that Christina would be safe in Ardmore, and that they could build a beautiful life together, away from the grime as a big city. So when Alex left the Ardmore apartment on Tuesday the 21st of August in 2018, he might have felt comforted in knowing that Christina was safe, tucked away in their little love nest. And that day when Alex left the Ardmore apartment to head to New York for an overnight trip, which was common for him, he called Christina. It was later in the evening and he wanted to talk about her day and wish her good night,

but she didn't answer her phone. He wasn't immediately concerned because he thought maybe she was, just out at a casting or around town. After all, the new area they were living in and Ardmore had a great bar and restaurant scene. And while it wasn't quite the same as the New York City nightlife, it will do. He also knew that Christina got quite lonely when he was away, so it wouldn't have surprised him if she'd gone out to socialize so she wasn't just all by herself in the apartment. But as the night turned into morning, Alex was still not able to get in touch with Christina. He called and called to no avail.

and eventually morning turned into a night again, and a heavy weight settled in his stomach. He felt like something was wrong. His instincts told him so. Guided by that sense of worry, Alex left work, made his way back to the apartment, and he rushed inside to try to look for Christina. But the thing is, he couldn't get in their main front door.

He could get into the building. He put his key inside of their doorknob, but it would just turn and turn, and the door wouldn't budge. No matter how much he wiggled, He pulled the knob and pushed on the door, it remained firmly shut. He thought it must have been deadbolted from the inside. There was no way to get into the apartment, and with Christina still not answering his calls or texts, Alex called the police.

It was Wednesday, August 22nd, 2018, a few minutes before 9 p.m., when Lower Marion Township Police Department received that call from Alex. He expressed concern for his fiance, Christina Carlin Kraft. He requested a welfare check at their residence. He explained he could not get inside their apartment. When Detective Gavin Gishinsky received the news that a welfare check was required at an apartment in the affluent suburb of Admore, he wasn't too keen on rushing over there. Because residents in that neighborhood were notorious for calling the police for the littlest inconvenience.

However, when he heard the exact address, he quickly changed his mind. He was familiar with a robbery that the police department had just investigated at the very same apartment just a few days earlier. Now he had a call from someone who was worried enough to call in for a wellness check. Perhaps the thief had come back. Maybe the robbery escalated into something much more sinister, so he didn't waste any more time,

and Gavin rushed over. When he arrived at the scene, he found a distressed Alex waiting outside. Alex briefly explained what was going on. He let them know that he was unable to get inside of his apartment or get a hold of his fiancé, and he'd come home early from New York on business, to check on her. The detective agreed that the situation required action. So they banned together,

using a crowbar, the police rammed their way into the apartment. Something I've always wondered is whether detectives consider what they might find on the other side of a locked door before going in. I wonder if they prepare themselves for a positive outcome or guard themselves in case it's negative, but probably both. But either way in this instance, opening that door was like opening Pandora's box. From the second they crossed the threshold, they were immersed in a crime scene as gruesome and bloody as they come. Surely being face to face with death, especially death that had come with such horrendous violence, was something that no one would be able to prepare themselves for. It's not what they wanted to find. Or what a loved one expects to see.

Detectives waited through the chaos of the living room area and made their way to the bedroom, and that is where they found the worst of it. At the center of overturned furniture, clothes just thrown around the room, there was pools of blood and a bed sheet on the floor. Detectives moved towards a sheet and they already knew what they would find. As they gently lifted the corner, they saw Christina. She was lying on the floor lifeless, completely still and not moving, and her beautiful face had been beaten beyond recognition.

It was a gruesome picture of cuts. and bruises, her hair and head were covered in blood and rigor mortis had already set in. Her eyes, those stunning blue eyes that had once captivated an audience of adoring fans, were now dark and glazed over between two broken eye sockets. Her delicate nose had not been spared in the brutal attack. It had been crushed into her face. It was clear from the extent of Christina's wounds that whoever did this had been driven by an intense rage. But her, her who? Why would anyone want to hurt Christina and want her dead? This fun vivacious girl, with a soul that was perhaps the most beautiful thing about her, was dead. In cases like these, the number

one suspect, and you know this, is almost always the significant other of the victim. That meant that the police had a potential suspect waiting at the door of the apartment. When detectives made their way back to Alex and let him know what they found, he was anxiously pacing the hallway. And when he got the news that Christina was dead, he doubled over in shock. He was desperate for answers. But perhaps this was all a performance. After all, if you are a true crime consumer or a web sleuth, if you will, then you'll know that guilty spouses can put on some award-winning performances when they want to, or at least they think they are sometimes. Hugh Chris Swats on his front porch performance, for example.

Perhaps Alex was better than most at feigning heartache. So naturally, given all the circumstances, detectives brought him into the station for questioning. After several hours, it was clear that Alex had nothing to do with Christina's murder. He was a really heartbroken fiancé, and this was no act. With their first and most important suspect ruled out, police turned to their second potential perpetrator. The person who is responsible for the robbing of Christina only days prior to the murder, that's right. Christina had been the one that was robbed recently. I told you that detectives and police officers had been at that exact same address. Ardmore is not the type of suburb that anyone

has things to worry about like this. They don't happen too frequently. It's a very low crime area. So police figured that incident that happened was probably a one-off because lightning doesn't usually strike the same place twice, right? Well, they're not sure now. Recall that is exactly what made the detective change his mind about wanting to rush to the scene. This address was familiar. He had just taken a report a few days ago.

I explained in the beginning of this video that Christina woke up one morning on Sunday the 18th, feeling as though she had been drugged. She was completely dazed, and once she adjusted to where she was, she realized that her precious belongings were gone from her apartment. So she filed a police report. At the time of her murder,

the police were still investigating the robbery and had combed through security footage, which they thought could lead to their thief. I want to make an important point here. I just read statistics that said, 70% of individuals between the ages of 18 and 24 years old have reported having their drinks spiked or have witnessed someone else's drink

being spiked with a substance while out on the town. And 87% of victims do not report this incident to the police. And I have to admit it has to have to admit it has happened to me when I first got here to Los Angeles and it happened so fast. I'm going to leave some very helpful links below to products that you can buy that will keep your drink safe when you're out because it's sad and it's scary so please take a look maybe share it with a friend because if you like going out having drinks but don't want to risk experiencing a terrifying event like that it could be very useful for you. But let's go back to what happened to Christina while

While taking her police report, they had her retrace her steps from the night of the burglary, and detectives had deduced that she'd taken a ride share to a bar in Center City, Philadelphia on Friday, August 17th. Christina couldn't tell them what happened next. However, after reviewing security footage, the investigators determined that Christina rode back home with a man who fit the description of the ride-chair driver that she used that night when returning to her apartment at 3 a.m. And this was just the Saturday before her murder.

He was a black male that appeared to be in his early 30s with facial hair. He had a slight mustache and closely trimmed beard and he was driving a burgundy Kia Sorrento with Virginia license plates. On the CCTV footage, detectives are able to see a man get out of the vehicle while Christina is seen passed out in the back seat of the car. The driver takes Christina's keys off of her body in the front of the back seat and enters Christina's apartment building in the early morning hours without her, just leaving her behind in the car. The man went up to her apartment alone and spent more than an hour in there before

coming back out and leaving the building carrying a heavy box around 4 a.m. The man came back a second time a few minutes later. However, this time he woke up Christina and he is holding her as they enter the building. Then the footage captures a very dazed looking Christina, dropped up against him as he leads her to the elevators and into her apartment and then leaves her on the floor as he's bringing more boxes of what they believe are Christina's items to his car. Afterward, the man leaves but returns to the elevator. And once the elevator doors close, the man exits the building and drives away. Police released the still images from the CCTV footage hoping that someone would recognize this man who broke into Christina's apartment. When detectives working on Christina's murder case are questioning the officers who took her initial report about the burglary, they remembered her because she was so upset.

She told the officers during the robbery report that she felt isolated and unsafe and how badly this incident impacted her. While they were working on finding out who that man is, they gather more information about who their victim is. And based on Christina's online activity, they could see she was very active. on social media and had a large online presence. She definitely left behind a digital footprint that spanned at least the last several years or more. So investigators combed the internet and found an article about Christina

in the New York Times from back in 2016. It was reported in the news that Christina had gone into a dispute with a Manhattan restaurant manager over the amount of her bar tab while she was out partying one night with a friend at the Smith. And this was in March of that year.

The argument escalated to the point that the police were called because Christina allegedly struck the man in the neck and then kicked him in the groin. When police arrived, Christina explained the manager had pushed her, but the video footage showed that wasn't true and that Christina was very intoxicated. She was arrested in charge with misdemeanor assault. Well, this is interesting to the detectives because they know she was out the night that she comes home with this. unknown man that appeared to burglarize her apartment. So, of course, their interest is peaked.