Murdered Model Jasmine Fiore's Benz Found Abandoned in Parking Lot
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (CBS/AP) Murdered model Jasmine Fiore's white Mercedes-Benz was found in a parking lot in West Hollywood, police said Wednesday. Investigators hope the discovery will harvest clues which could explain where Fiore was killed and how her mutilated body wound up stuffed in a suitcase and throw in a dumpster.
Photos: Jasmine Fiore, Bikini Model Murder
Police received an anonymous telephone tip and found the car belonging to the 28-year-old bikini model in a parking lot next to a grocery store, Buena Park police Detective Eric Burciaga said.
Police have not found a murder scene and say Fiore could have been killed in the car before her nude body was found stuffed in suitcase in a Southern California trash bin on Aug. 15.
Investigators did not attempt to open the car and were not able to see inside because of its tinted windows. A tow truck transported it from the scene.
The examination of the car "could take quite awhile because they're going to be very methodical going through it," said Tom Hession, chief inspector for the regional fugitive task force of the U.S. Marshals Service.
A witness told police the car had been parked in the lot since the day of the killing. A note slipped under the windshield wiper read, "This is a private parking lot. Unattended vehicles may be towed at owner's expense."
Fiore's fingers and teeth had been removed when her body was found, presumably to hamper efforts to identify her. Police learned her identity by tracing the serial number on her breast implants.
Suspect Ryan Jenkins, 32, her ex-husband and a former contestant on the VH1 show "Megan Wants a Millionaire," was found hanging from a clothes rack in a hotel room in Hope, British Columbia on Sunday after a frantic dash to the border. An autopsy concluded he committed suicide.
In Canada, authorities said a silver PT Cruiser matching the description of the vehicle seen dropping Jenkins at a motel was parked at his half-sister's condominium in Vancouver.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Cpl. Norm Massie declined to say whether Alena Jenkins is the woman who checked Jenkins into the Thunderbird Motel three days before he was found dead.
A message left with a woman answering Alena Jenkins' phone was not immediately returned. The woman said Jenkins' half-sister was away arranging funeral details.
Police have identified the woman who helped Jenkins check into the motel but have not released her name. She was not in custody and police were considering whether she would face charges.
Massie said police would need proof the woman knew Ryan was wanted before they could file charges.
"We're not going to confirm or deny anyone involved in the investigation," Massie said. "Our investigation is on two fronts, first we want to find the circumstances around the incident at the motel in Hope and, as importantly, we have yet to determine how Ryan entered Canada from the U.S. and if any one assisted him doing so."
Jenkins left a real estate job in his native Calgary, Alberta, earlier this year to pursue a Hollywood career and found some success. He was among a group of wealthy young men on the reality show who tried to win over a materialistic blonde. An episode featuring Jenkins aired around the same time police sought him for Fiore's murder.
He was also a participant in a competitive reality series, "I Love Money 3," that was cancelled by VH1 after news of the murder.
Jenkins and Fiore met in Las Vegas in March, shortly after Jenkins finished taping for "Megan Wants a Millionaire," and they married on March 18, according to court documents. The couple separated shortly afterward, but had reportedly reconciled.
Jasmine Fiore's mother, Lisa Lepore, told The Associated Press her daughter had the marriage annulled in May.
On Aug. 13, Jenkins and Fiore checked into a luxury boutique hotel in San Diego. Authorities have said it was the last time Fiore was seen alive. The next day, Jenkins left alone.
Photos: Jasmine Fiore, Bikini Model Murder
FULL COVERAGE ON CRIMESIDER
August 26, 2009 - Report: Mystery Woman Who Took Ryan Jenkins to Suicide Motel Revealed
August 26, 2009 - Ryan Jenkins: From "Very Kind" TV Contestant to Jasmine Fiore's Killer?
August 25, 2009 - Behind the Scenes: Jasmine Fiore's Accused Killer Ryan Jenkins
August 24, 2009 - Disturbing Trend: Jasmine Fiore Death Photos
August 24, 2009 - Jasmine Fiore: New Videos of Bikini Model Before Murder
August 24, 2009 - Wanted for Bikini Model Murder, Reality Star Ryan Jenkins Commits Suicide
August 21, 2009 - Murdered Model's Ex Boyfriend Calls Reality Star on Run an "Animal"
August 21, 2009 - Ryan Jenkins, Reality TV Star on the Run
August 21, 2009 - Police: Killer Removed Bikini Model's Teeth and Fingers
August 20, 2009 - Reality TV Contestant Wanted in Bikini Model's Death
August 19, 2009 - Murdered LA Swimsuit Model Found Stuffed in Suitcase