Politics | 02/17/2009 12:55 pm

21-Year-Old Juliana Redding's Murder Remains Unsolved

By The Staff at wowOwow.com

"Who Killed Juliana Redding?" flier/Beyond90Seconds.com

CNN.com and Nancy Grace are revisiting a murder mystery.

Twenty-one-year-old aspiring model and actress Juliana Redding was found dead in her Santa Monica apartment in March, 2008, and no arrests or suspects of interest have been named. While few details have since been released about the case, Redding’s tragic story, still, very much remains in the public interest.

Shortly after reports of her death emerged and no arrests were made, flyers were scattered throughout the streets of Southern California that read: "Who killed Juliana Redding?"

Nearly one year later, that question remains unsolved. And police also aren’t helping put the public curiosity to rest. Authorities haven’t confirmed if the beautiful young woman was sexually abused by her alleged killer, but did say the cause of death was not from a blunt-force trauma — which was speculated in the past. Redding reportedly moved from Arizona to Santa Monica in pursuit of becoming a Hollywood star. It was revealed last year on "Nancy Grace" that, according to an ex-boyfriend, she had been paying her way through college by working as a waitress at a strip joint on Sunset Boulevard. The Los Angeles Times reports that Redding was found dead March 16 at about 6:10 PM. According to Lt. Alex Padilla from the Santa Monica Police Department, Redding’s mother had called police from Tucson, AZ, the prior evening, concerned that she had been unable to reach her daughter. Police said she was killed during an assault. Her death is listed as a "homicide" — which is defined as the killing of one human being by another.

Though the police file remains sealed and no information on the murder has been reported, CNN has asked anyone with information to step forward.

If anyone has any information regarding Juliana Redding’s death, please call the Santa Monica Police Department tip line at (310) 458-8449.

8 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

I remember this case when first reported. Very sad, but we all know that the longer a case goes unsolved, the more likely that it may never be.

By HA BIBI on 02/17/2009 12:52 pm

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Drives me nuts when things like this happen. Seems like, with today’s forensic technology, if they have the body, they should have all the evidence they need. Maybe I just watch too much CSI, but I always feel like somebody got sloppy somewhere when crimes go unsolved for so long. As it is, we all get to live with the reality that some maniac’s still out there. Fliers. Sheesh. Who thought of that?

By Ms. Dee on 02/17/2009 1:06 pm

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Juliana was NOT working in a “strip joint” - she was working at a nice tapas place in santa monica. Please don’t continue to print things that aren’t true.

By Leigh Braley on 02/17/2009 2:13 pm

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Please,,, get the facts straight about Juliana Redding. It’s tragic enough that’s she’s gone. She DID NOT go to LA to pursue a career in acting and modeling. She went to attend school. She did not work in a strip bar. She was strikingly beautiful, both inside and out; she was breathtaking. She was spotted by an agent who saw her rare beauty and she did agree and do some modeling and short videos. Unlike many girls her age, she didn’t live there with the hope of being anything but who she was. Whimsical, loving, trusting, bright and fun loving. She didn’t see herself as a beautiful hopeful…. others did and she trusted. Other than praying that the murderer is found, please, stick to the facts and trust that he/she will be found and brought to justice.

By S D on 02/17/2009 2:21 pm

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It’s unfortunate and so sad, but of the hundreds and thousands of murders that occur each year, I find it curious that her case (which has no unique characteristics to it other than she truly was strikingly beautiful) should garner the level of public interest that it has. I’m sure the parents, friends and loved ones of the countless young women and men who are found murdered each year wish they had their loved one’s discussed on blog sites and cable news to the degree Juliana’s case is. It’s just unfortunate that only the “attractive” receive this expedited level of attention.

By Belinda Joy on 02/17/2009 3:41 pm

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Belinda, I understand your point and you are right. Juliana mainly got a lot of press thanks to false statements about her from the media. The truth is she wasn’t just a pretty girl. She was a magnet to people wherever she went. What made her stand out was her huge heart and her positive nature. Everyone who is tragically taken is equally as important. Juliana happened to be loved by so many people that writing about her sooths the broken heart in some small way.

By S D on 02/18/2009 9:21 am

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And what you just said about her is just another example of why her death is so tragic. When you die, don’t you want to know that there are people who thought highly of you and missed you? She is blessed to have so many people who can and are, saying kind things about her. I never use to pay any attention to the reports of murders and kidnaps, I’d read about them or watch them on the news, but never really care beyond that fleeting feeling of "awww that’s awful."

But as I began to pay attention more thanks to friends and family, they were correct in their assertions that the media focuses on cases that involve attractive boys, girls, men and women. The homeless guy, crack prostitute or welfare mom from the ghetto are not discussed on Nancy Grace and national news. Why? They are just as loved by their family and friends as anyone else. But for me personally, I just think any act of violence is to be mourned.

By Belinda Joy on 02/18/2009 11:51 am