> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Accused Johnson killer in LA court - URL: https://www.smdp.com/accused-johnson-killer-in-la-court/ - Published: 2006-07-14T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T18:55:07.000Z - Author: Kevin Herrera - Tags: Crime, Downtown, #archive-import *Six women to take stand* DOWNTOWN LA — Prosecutors on Thursday portrayed the man charged with strangling a 21-year-old Santa Monica woman to death three years ago as a calculated killer with a long history of luring attractive young women by claiming to be a Hollywood player with connections to Disney. In opening statements in the murder trial of Victor Paleologus, Deputy District Attorney David Walgren told a jury comprised of 10 men and two women that the defendant, who sat virtually motionless throughout the day’s proceedings, approached at least seven women over a 12-year period and asked them to audition for a minor, but very lucrative role in an upcoming James Bond film. There was no film. The offer was merely a ruse so that Paleologus could get the women alone, rape them and kill them, Walgren said. The act almost worked on several occasions, but each of the women managed to fight their way free from his clutches, all except for Kristi Johnson, a trusting Michigan transplant who was attending Santa Monica College with dreams of becoming a professional make-up artist, Walgren said. Johnson’s body was found in March 2003 at the bottom of a hill in Hollywood, partially covered by a sleeping bag, her hands and feet bound by shoelaces, her face badly decomposed. It is believed she was killed several weeks before she was discovered. Johnson’s disappearance gained national attention as her mother, Terry Wark, pleaded publicly for her safe return. Johnson told one of her roommates that she had been approached by a movie executive at Century City on Feb. 15, 2003 and offered an audition. Johnson left that afternoon to meet the man and never returned home. Paleologus, 43, was charged with Johnson’s murder, which carries the special circumstances of lying in wait and attempted rape. Paleologus is also charged with using another’s identification to try and purchase a BMW from a Beverly Hills car dealership, a car which he is also accused of stealing from the lot after allegedly submitting false information on a credit report. The defendant was originally arrested Feb. 17, 2003 on charges of grand theft auto, and has since been held without bail. If convicted of murder, he could face the death penalty. Paleologus’ defense attorney, Andrew Reed Flier, painted a very different picture of Paleologus on Thursday, telling jurors during his opening statement that his client may be a thief who lied to pick up women, but he was definitely not a killer. While Walgren used a detailed, Powerpoint presentation during his opening statement, Flier worked with no notes or visual aides as he tried to punch holes in the prosecution’s case, stressing that there is no physical evidence linking Paleologus to the murder. Walgren asked jurors to “keep an open mind” when considering the facts of the case. “The prosecution wants you to focus on the past,” Flier said. “We want to focus on what counts — the evidence.” Flier plans to call a medical examiner who will testify that the condition of Johnson’s body proves she was killed after Paleologus was already in police custody for allegedly stealing the BMW. He also plans to call a real estate agent to testify that, while he did show Paleologus homes near the spot where Johnson’s body was found, he was in Paleologus’ presence during the time the prosecution said the murder took place. Flier also said there is only one eyewitness who can identify the killer, and that is Orlando Morales, a valet at the St. Regis Hotel in Century City where Johnson’s 1996, white Mazda Miata was parked on Feb.16 — the day after she was reported missing to police. While prior reports said Morales identified the driver of the car as Paleologus, Flier said Morales has never picked his client out of a photo lineup. “This case is completely circumstantial,” Flier said. “There is not one scintilla of science or a physical trace that connects Mr. Paleologus in this case. No saliva … pubic hair, no semen, nothing.” While that may be the case, circumstantial evidence didn’t stop Walgren from constructing a timeline which showed Paleologus allegedly trying to pick up six other women over a 12-year period using the same pitch — that he was a photographer working for Disney looking for women to portray a dominatrix-like character in an upcoming Bond film. During the course of the trial, which is expected to last up to six weeks,Walgren said he will call each of the women to testify that Paleologus approached them, either at LAX or at the Westfield Shopping Center in Century City, and asked them to audition for the role, which would pay roughly $100,000. Walgren said the women will also testify that Paleologus asked them to show up to the audition wearing a white dress shirt and black mini-skirt, with nylons and black, high-heeled stilettos — the same outfit Johnson was wearing when her body was found. According to Walgren, one of the women, Heather Maher, will testify that Paleologus brought her to a deserted restaurant and dance studio in August of 1998 and took pictures of her posing in the outfit. He then tried to tie her up and rape her, but she was able to escape by fighting back. Paleologus pleaded no contest to assault with intent to rape in that incident. By calling the women, Walgren is looking to show not only a history of deceit and violence towards women, but also a link between the outfit found on Johnson’s body and those worn by the witnesses. Walgren said he also planned to call a cell phone expert to show Paleologus made calls on his cell phone in the area where Johnson’s body was found shortly after the murder is believed to have been committed. The prosecution also plans to call an ex-girlfriend of the defendant’s, who is expected to testify that Paleologus broke into her apartment in 1996 and chased her with some ligature in an attempt to choke her after she ended their relationship. Paleologus pleaded guilty to residential burglary in that case. Flier countered that there is no proof that these women ever met Paleologus, and even if they had, tit wouldn’t prove he was responsible for Johnson’s murder. One of the women allegedly duped by Paleologus, Susan Murphy, testified Thursday, saying she was approached by him in Century City less than a month before Johnson went missing. Murphy, a striking brunette with an hour-glass figure, said she was in a Macy’s looking at sweaters when Paleologus walked up to her and told her she was beautiful and proceeded to engage her in a conversation about a film role. The two talked and agreed to meet the following day for an audition. Murphy said she was told to wear a black mini-skirt, white dress shirt, nylons and stilettos. When she arrived at the location specified by Paleologus, she said he was irritated that she was not dressed in the outfit. He put his hand on her shoulder and tried to get her to go with him. Murphy’s then-fiancé, a former cop from London, was waiting in a car nearby and eventually confronted Paleologus in an alley, where he frisked him and asked for identification, Murphy said. Paleologus allegedly said he did not have any I.D., but gave a telephone number which later proved to be false. Murphy eventually called the police to report Paleologus after reading a news article about Johnson’s disappearance. “It was just women’s instinct,” Murphy said, explaining why she called law enforcement, even though Paleologus did nothing to harm her. “I just felt something wasn’t right.” Paleologus watched with interest as Murphy testified. He was clean shaven, dressed in a black blazer, blue jeans and a dark blue dress shirt. His face looked pale. During cross-examination, Flier seemed to suggest that Murphy may have had an ax to grind against Paleologus because he rejected her once she asked him for proof that he was involved in the movie business. Murphy denied she was angry. She said she and her former fiancé tracked down Paleologus because she was still “intrigued by his offer.” When Flier asked her if Paleologus was ever violent or threatening, Murphy said “no.” She also said he had never harmed her physically. When asked why she never called police after the incident, Murphy replied, “There was no crime.” *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 14, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/071406.pdf?ref=smdp.com)