Well, I believe it is. I saw this on 48 Hours a few months ago, and it just pissed me off. So, yep, it made it on my blog.
LOS ANGELES — Shortly after 6 p.m. on March 16, 2008, Officer Scott McGowan arrived at the Santa Monica home of 21-year-old aspiring model and actress Juliana Redding for a welfare check. Redding’s mother in Arizona could not reach her by phone.
McGowan’s knocking and shouting went unanswered. He noticed a small amount of blood on the sidewalk and was overwhelmed by the smell of gas coming from inside. He quickly established there was no forced entry or any broken windows. Because of the smell of gas, he called the fire department. With the help of another officer trained in picking locks, they managed to get into the apartment.
Once inside, the cops noticed a candle burning on the coffee table. As they entered the kitchen, one of the stove’s burners was turned up with the pilot light off. They quickly realized this was a bomb waiting to go off and a fast way to get rid of the evidence.
From the kitchen, McGowan could see Redding lying dead on the bed in her bedroom.
Police began investigating the crime scene and believed Redding knew her attacker and willingly let them into her apartment. The police also believed the killer entered the apartment around 10 p.m. on March 15, 2008.
A neighbor had reported hearing screams, and furniture moved around 9:53 p.m.
Crime scene investigators collected a large amount of DNA at the crime scene. Blood was found on Redding’s skin and clothes; her cell phone, the stove knob, and blood drop were on a plate.
Police later checked Redding’s cell phone and saw that she called 911, but the call was terminated before it could go through.
Overall, the crime scene looked like a hasty attempt by the killer to clean up the blood. Police found a bottle of household cleaner and a scrub brush on the kitchen counter.
A forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy on Juliana recounted the contusions and cuts that covered her body. Burst capillaries in her eyes, he said, indicated that the killer had clenched Juliana’s throat so tightly that the flow of blood was stopped. Bones in her neck had been crushed, and scratches under her chin, he said, came from Juliana’s own fingernails as she fought desperately to break her attacker’s grip (Faturechi and Rubin, Dec. 5, 2010).
Police began interviewing Redding’s friends and family to determine who might want to hurt her.
At one time, Redding was romantically involved with her boss, Dr. Munir Uwaydah, her father’s business partner. Greg Redding had agreed to go into business with Uwaydah, managing a pharmacy and developing products for a medical manufacturing company Uwaydah founded.
In October 2007, Greg Redding learned that Uwaydah was married and had children. He advised his daughter to end the relationship with Uwaydah. Five days before Reddin’gs murder, her father pulled out of the business venture after growing suspicious of Uwaydah.
As the investigation continued, detectives learned that Uwaydha hired Kelly Soo Park, a 47-year-old real estate broker, to intimidate people who wronged him. Greg Redding once referred to her as Uwaydah’s “James Bond.” Park was tall and not afraid to get in a person’s face. She was his “muscle.”
The DNA tested belonged to a female. Police followed Park and picked up one of her cigarette butts. Her DNA matched the DNA found at the crime scene.
On March 17, 2010, authorities arrested Park for Redding’s murder. She pleaded not guilty and was granted a $3.5 million bail. Two days after Park’s arrest, Uwaydah fled the country. Authorities believe he went to Beirut and remains there today.
Prosecutors believed Uwaydah hired Park to intimidate and scare Greg Redding’s daughter as payback for the elder Redding backing out of their business dealings. The intimidation process went wrong, and Park killed Reddomg.
However, for some screwed-up reason, the jury never hears this information.
The case finally went to trial in May 2013. The prosecution opened with the DNA evidence, believing this was a slam-dunk conviction due to the overwhelming amount found at the crime scene and that it matched Park’s DNA.
The defense never tried proving it wasn’t Park’s DNA. Instead, the defense argued that the DNA evidence found and tested did not prove Park killed Redding because the DNA could have been transferred.
The real killer could have cleaned up the crime scene, expunged it of all DNA, then inadvertently planted Kelly Soo Park’s DNA by using a towel that Kelly may have used once five months earlier at Dr. Uwaydah’s Beverly Hills house — a place Park had visited, and Juliana had once lived (48 Hours)
And the jury bought it.
Despite overwhelming DNA evidence and matching that DNA to Park, Park was acquitted of the murder of Redding.
The two people who were responsible for Redding’s brutal murder walk free. And that, my friends, is injustice.
Update, September 2015: Park “performed hundreds of surgeries in $150M scam, LA prosecutors say“
References
Faturechi, Robert and Joel Rubin. 2010. “Detectives Say Santa Monica Actress Dialed 911 Moments Before She Was Killed.” Los Angeles Times. December 6. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-dec-05-la-me-juliana-redding-20101205-story.html (accessed October 20, 2014).
Last updated in March 2023
22 comments
I just listened to the 48 Hours podcast and found it absolutely jawdropping that nobody has been punished for this girl’s killing. Just appalling
It really is!
Truecrime diva….. do you know if its possible for the family of Juliana to proceed with a civil law suit? or is there a time limit to file?
Hi Rose! It depends on the state the crime occurred in. I believe California’s Statue of Limitations is two years from the time of the person’s death.
She’s literally another gold digging typical.
Jeffrey, You idiot. Please keep rude comments to yourself. Juliana was smart and young and got caught up with the wrong person at the wrong time. She was nothinbut kind to everyone. She tried to distance herself and they killed her! She was an innocent girl — happy young daughter and friend to many people. Worst injustice EVER!!! Beyond sad!!!!
Just when you think that there can’t be a dumber group of people serving on one jury, something like this happens. What the hell could they have been thinking?
I know, right?? I don’t know how they can even live with themselves after that!
Not to promote vigilante thinking, but if she did that to MY daughter, I’m not sure I could let it go. She MIGHT suffer a very unfortunate accident …
I hear ya there!
Just like the OJ Simpson criminal trial. Once again, stupid and moronic Californians failing to convict despite overwhelming evidence.
I cant believe what Im reading. Transfer DNA? Really? Why would they have gone through all that trouble wiping down DNA and then transferring DNA if they turned the gas on to blow the place up?
Exactly! They wouldn’t have. The whole point to having it blow up was to get rid of any evidence left at the scene. So, this theory from the defense was just bogus.
Omg i watched this show too and i got so annoyed. That must be the stupidest jury ever. Like wth is wrong with the people. DNA everywhere and the jury bought the story that her DNA might be transferred from the towel. So stupid. Her DNA was found everywhere at the crime scene. Like seriously. Im so mad. That is injustice right there. I pity Juliana Redding and her family. Just remember there’s karma and that kelly person will get her retribution.
Well, the jury are most likely bribed. Cmon the xena looking bitch hired them through her Defense. Otherwise I think even the blind can see she’s guilty. Agree this is injustice. I can’t wait to see how karma will strike the jury, that bitch and the dr right where it hurts. Hell awaits u guys.
It’s sick and very depressing. Kelly park and Munir would be serving life in prison if they didn’t have the large bank accounts to hire their attorneys. It’s the worst injustice ever that kelly soo park got away with murder. Sad everyone was and still is too afraid to speak the truth about munir uwaydah and his involvement because he will sue the heck out of you for his own pleasure and or have someone from his team threaten to kill you. I was hoping the horrible group of monsters including kelly park and munir would finally serve life in jail after the huge medical fraud case but no! Looks like their defenses attorneys got them out of that again. Kathleen (the judge of both cases…. should have overruled these idiots) this is wrong wrong wrong wrong!!!! She let the murders and thieves get away again. Never forget
Hummmm, well being a retired criminal investigator iam very familure with DNA and such as well as the court system. I agree with the first comment. Even if the DNA was transferred as the Defence claimed the jury should have considered the fingerprints of the suspect. As it is well known that even if DNA was transferred you cannot transfer a fingerprint of another. So correct stupid people on the jury that plainly disregarded the evidence in the case and thought DNA transfer would include fingerprint..
With respect to the Judge there is no blame attributed as the judge merely rules on evidence based on the rules of court and justice. Which is clearly everyone has a right to a fair trial.
Last, there is further no need to attack her defence attorney as having a law degree myself his argrument was brillient as far as the timing. The defence never question the validity of the DNA as presented by the prosecution. Nor did the defence raise the issues during trial as it would certainly be challenged by the prosecution. After the trial both sides present a final argrument in the case which there are no objections or responses from the other. The prosecution gave their final argrument and the defence attorney included in his final argrument the issues regarding the transfer of DNA and stayed way away from the fingerprint issue. Thus, creating a doubt in the jurys mind that the suspect may not have done the crime because the possibility of DNA transfer.
Is the suspect Guilty….. Yes there is no doubt in my mind that woman killed Julianna. Did she get away with murder…… Yes but not at the fault of the judge, prosecution Attorney or the defense Attorney. Simply it was the ignorance of the 12 in the box that created this grave in justice of law. My Heart goes out to her family and you may find some comfort in contacting Ron Goldmen and Nicole Simpsons family through their organization.
If you’re an attorney you may want to use spell check as you’ve misspelled defense more than once in you large email.
It’s nearly impossible to prove that Park “didn’t” do it, her fingerprint on the nob of the stove, her fingerprint on a door handle, Parks Dna on Juliannas vest, & throat, forensic expert’s saying it’s near impossible to transfer so much of Parks DNA from a towel from 5 months ago of another place into Juliannas house, & Park has never stepped foot in Juliannas house or even met her
This has to be the stupidist judge and jury ever assembled and the fastest dissapearing jury that cannot be found on their accountability and how they decided this verdict: What a dunb-ass jury!Defence lawyers probably are accountable for not fighting for this dead girl: And this father, why didnt he make a press conference or something:Shame,shame on this ridicoulous jury!
Exactly! Couldn’t agree more!
He should kill Kelly park and call it a day
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