Do you know Ryan Jenkins? Please contact us at jvanrassel@theherald.canwest.com or grichards@theherald.canwest.com.
CALGARY – Homicide investigators want to speak with a Canadian reality show contestant in the death of a swimsuit model whose body was found stuffed in a suitcase in a California dumpster.
Police in Buena Park, southeast of Los Angeles, say Ryan Alexander Jenkins — who appeared on the VH1 reality show Megan Wants a Millionaire — is a “person of interest” in the homicide.
Buena Park Police Department spokesman Lieut. Gary Worrall said police were called Saturday morning when someone thought they had found a child’s body in a dumpster behind an apartment building.
When officers arrived, they found that it was in fact a petite, naked woman who had been killed and placed in the suitcase in the garbage container.
The preliminary cause of death is strangulation.
She was later identified as Jasmine Fiore, 28, an L.A.-area swimsuit model.
Police say the case took a turn when she was reported missing later that day, allegedly by Mr. Jenkins.
“He reports her missing Saturday evening and we attempted to contact him to further our investigation, and he’s been ducking our calls. It’s kind of suspicious,” said Lieut. Worrall.
His photograph has been released in the hopes of generating tips from the public of the man or of her white 2007 Mercedes CLS 550.
Lieut. Worrall said Mr. Jenkins, a 32-year-old former realtor who left Calgary a few months ago, was in a relationship with Ms. Fiore, 28.
“There is some suspicion as to why he’s not talking to us and he is possibly driving a vehicle belonging to her, which makes it even more suspicious.”
Investigators believe the two were last seen together on Friday night in the San Diego area.
“We’re fearful that if he is involved, he might flee to Canada,” said Lieut. Worrall.
Lieut. Worrall believed Canadian authorities have been notified about the case.
Megan Wants a Millionaire features a woman who dates various bachelors in hopes of landing a rich boyfriend.
On Mr. Jenkins’ profile on the VH1 website, he lists his occupation as investment banker.
He also says that he “molds “˜player girls’ into “˜princesses’” and that “the only time he cheated on his ex was when he wanted to break up with her.”
Mr. Jenkins’ former boss at a Calgary real estate company — who did not want his name or his company’s name published — said Mr. Jenkins was a licensed realtor who sold condos and left months ago to move to the United States.
“He said he was leaving and I said, “˜good luck in whatever you do,’” he said.
He worked at that company for a couple years.
“He was a super nice guy. Very nice, soft-spoken, good looking, very pleasant to talk to. I couldn’t say anything bad about him,” said the former employer.
“My experience with him was nothing but good.”
smassinon@theherald.canwest.com
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