Media Points Finger at Career Criminal

By Lookout Staff

March 5 -- While an autopsy performed Wednesday on the body of Kristine Johnson has yet to determine how the 21-year-old Santa Monica woman died, several news sources racing for scoops have identified a suspect as the likely killer.

Defying repeated police requests not to identify the "subject of interest," several news sources have named Victor Paleologus, a 40-year-old resident of West Hollywood, as the prime suspect.

Paleologus -- who is being held in Men's Central Jail in lieu of $1.15 million bail in an unrelated case -- has a record of luring and abducting women with a ruse of photographing them for movie shoots.

Several television news broadcasts aired photos of Paleologus that closely resemble a composite sketch released last week of a man wanted for questioning in Johnson's disappearance.

Police believe the man in the sketch is linked to Johnson's disappearance February 15 and possible murder. Her body was discovered by hikers in the Hollywood Hills Monday afternoon.

But while Police Chief James T. Butts, Jr. continued to withhold the subject's identity because releasing it "could jeopardize future identification by witnesses or other potential victims," several local news outlets have begun to piece together Paleologus' criminal history.

Paleologus, who had been released from prison on January 20 after serving a sentence for burglary, was arrested by Beverly Hills police on February 17 (two days after Johnson's disappearance) for allegedly stealing a car, resisting arrest and violating parole, news sources said.

Butts has said only that investigators have a suspect in custody who has been charged by a district attorney for an unrelated crime, but has not identified him.

In a prepared statement Butts read that was broadcast live, he delivered a scathing rebuke to media for releasing information that may be pertinent to the case.

"While we remain confident in this investigation," Butts said, "the pace and direction has been altered as a result of the release of this info by some media groups. While we respect the rights, duties and responsibility of the media to inform the public, it is not their responsibility to prepare, investigate and prosecute these cases."

According to the Los Angeles Times, Paleologus served time for convictions involving six crimes, including falsifying financial statements, writing a fake check and assault with intent to commit a sex act.

In 1991, Paleologus was tried for attempted rape, assault and false imprisonment of a woman he allegedly lured to a hotel room by promising she would meet celebrities, according to The Times.

The woman was bruised on her face, neck and legs and had rope burns on her wrists where she was tied to a bed. After a jury deadlocked, Paleologus entered a guilty plea to false imprisonment by violence and was sentenced to three years' probation, according to The Times.

CBS2, the television news outlet that first identified Paleologus, reported that he was arrested February 26, 1996 on suspicion of rape after a four-hour standoff with sheriff's deputies at a Malibu mobile home park.

He was also tried in 1999 for attempted rape. Paleologus, according to CBS2, is due to appear before a Beverly Hills judge Tuesday in connection with his Feb. 17 arrest.

On Wednesday, David Campbell, a spokesman for the County Coroner's office said the autopsy performed that morning on Johnson's body resulted in a ''deferred'' cause of death, pending completion of toxicological and other tests.

In addition to the tests, the coroner will examine Johnson's medical and dental records, which investigators have requested from her family.

"We remain focused on this investigation," Butts concluded in his statement. "We are determined to secure justice for Kristi and her family."