Police in California say they believe the body of an aspiring actress who vanished from her Hollywood home last month has been found.
Image: Adea Shabani (Source: BBC via SANTA CLARITA VALLEY SHERIFF)
According to a report from the BBC, the actress named Adea Shabani was found over 400 miles (645km) away from her apartment. She was buried in a shallow grave in a remote wildlife area of northern California.
Officials say a man they identified as her boyfriend, Christopher Spotz, was involved in her presumed murder.
Spotz killed himself after a chase and standoff with police last week.
Shabani’s death is being investigated as a homicide.
“Something happened, and I believe it to be somewhat untoward – that there was foul play involved,” said Captain William Hayes of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) at a press conference on Thursday.
A post-mortem examination was planned for Wednesday morning to positively identify her remains.
“We cannot say that conclusively at this point in time because the condition of the remains,” added Capt Hayes.
Shabani, 25, was born in Macedonia and attended high school there before moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. She was credited with a small role in an independent film released last year.
Shabani was last seen leaving her apartment with Spotz on 23 February carrying luggage to an elevator.
Spotz, 33, who was engaged to another woman, told police at the time that he let Shabani out of the car only 25 miles from her home after they got into an argument.
Last Thursday, Spotz led police on a 60-mile chase in a stolen vehicle before shooting himself.
The LAPD spokesman said he believed Spotz – who was also an aspiring actor – was “somehow involved in her death”.
Shabani’s mother had flown from Macedonia, and hired a private investigator to aid in the search. The inquirer told KABC-TV in early March that a $25,000 reward was being offered for her whereabouts.
