Police in Southern California worked on Tuesday to determine who last saw a Salpointe Catholic High School graduate and aspiring actress who was found dead at her Santa Monica apartment earlier this week.
So far detectives have not established a motive for the slaying of Juliana Redding, 21, who apparently died from an assault, said Lt. Alex Padilla, a spokesman for the Santa Monica Police Department.
Padilla would not describe the nature of the assault.
Police were still awaiting autopsy results Tuesday afternoon to determine exactly caused Redding’s death, he said. There were no obvious signs of forced entry into her apartment, he said.
Shortly after 6 p.m. Sunday, officers went to an apartment complex in Santa Monica — a beachfront community near Los Angeles — after her mother, who lives in Tucson, called authorities and said she hadn’t been able to reach her daughter by telephone, Padilla said.
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Her body was not in advanced state of decomposition and investigators believe she hadn’t been dead more than two days before she was found, Padilla said.
Santa Monica police have made no arrests nor identified any suspects in the case, Padilla said.
He would not say whether any of Redding’s belongings had been taken from the apartment because of the ongoing investigation.
Redding graduated from Salpointe Catholic High School, 1545 E. Copper St., in 2005, said Kay Sullivan, the school’s development director.
While there, Redding participated in an array of activities, Sullivan said. She played golf for the school for four years — including her senior year when the team was number one in the state, Sullivan said.
She ran track and field, played soccer, took part in the recycling club and was a student council member, Sullivan said. She also was part of the school’s drama program.
Word of Redding’s death traveled quickly through the Salpointe community, Sullivan said, especially among the graduates who knew her.
“The faculty certainly remembers her and they’re absolutely in shock,” she said.
Sister Helen Rau was Redding’s counselor during her years at Salpointe.
“She had a spirit of openness and a love of life, and it spilled over to others,” Rau said.
Redding was an above-average student who was outgoing and endearing to her teachers, Rau said. When Redding came into her office to talk about her education it was like “a breath of fresh air,” she said.
Detectives on Tuesday were interviewing Redding’s family, friends and co-workers to find out who she was with and where she was in the hours before she died. Redding did have a boyfriend who has been interviewed by police. He is not considered a suspect, Padilla said.
“Nobody’s being identified as a suspect and nobody’s being ruled out,” Padilla said. An aspiring actress who went to college and worked part-time at a restaurant, Redding’s life was cut “tragically short,” Padilla said.
“She never really go the chance to live her dreams,” he said.
Attempts to reach Redding’s parents were unsuccessful Tuesday.
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