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00:00:01,600 --> 00:00:02,867
[Christopher] Paula wanted
to be in Playboy.
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00:00:02,867 --> 00:00:06,100
It would've taken her away
and gotten her out of Detroit.
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00:00:06,100 --> 00:00:11,033
The 50th anniversary Playmate
was presented as being
like a very special Playmate.
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00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:17,166
It doesn't matter
if you pose nude in Playboy.
That doesn't give somebody
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00:00:17,233 --> 00:00:19,367
access or the rights.
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00:00:19,367 --> 00:00:22,367
But it's really important
as a woman going out
to really be
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00:00:22,367 --> 00:00:26,266
on your guard, you know,
there's people trying to
slip things into your drinks.
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00:00:26,333 --> 00:00:29,567
There's people
trying to grab you
as you walk across the room.
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You never know
who you're surrounded by.
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00:00:32,166 --> 00:00:33,667
It can be really scary.
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It's one of the most
heinous cases
that I've ever worked.
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This is an animal out there
that did this.
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[engine starts]
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[Christopher] Paula was this
very dainty sweet girl.
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She had a little dog
that she loved.
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She always took care
of her family.
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00:02:02,867 --> 00:02:06,867
I met Paula through
a friend at a party.
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00:02:06,867 --> 00:02:09,567
We started hanging out
and kind of hit it off
at the party.
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She was a little
shy at first, so,
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I welcomed her,
made her feel comfortable,
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and from that point forward,
we hang out a lot,
do a little partying.
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We would go out
to a club called Elektricity
in Pontiac.
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And this was before
she was 21.
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So they had an 18-over
night on Sunday nights
and we'd go dancing there.
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Paula was
the life of the party.
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She always wanted
to have fun.
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She looked like
a movie star, a model.
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We were coming back home
from an out-of-town
music festival
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and we're in our Mustang,
'vertible, top down
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and she's doing about
90-95 mph.
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And I look behind us
and I'm like, "Paula,
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there's a state trooper
behind you."
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And the state trooper
just pulls up next to her,
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gets on the loud speaker
and goes,
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[mimics bullhorn]
"You're hot."
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And drove off. [laughs]
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My name is Robere Lett.
I own a modeling
talent agency in Detroit.
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I happened to meet
Paula Sladewski
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around 2003
just through auditions
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and, you know,
having the models come in.
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Paula was, what I call,
one of those perfect
in betweens.
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She wasn't the tallest,
skinny runway model
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or the young, All American,
sort of, ingenued.
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She was that really pretty
in-between, very curvy.
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Paula had amazing eyes.
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We thought
she was very striking,
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had a really good look
and we decided to take her on.
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We did auto shows
and Paula was great
for those opportunities
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because we did shows
in Vegas
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00:03:50,767 --> 00:03:53,567
and all across the country
where they wanted
the sexier model
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00:03:53,567 --> 00:03:56,667
to be in front of the Charger,
or the, you know. [laughs]
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The big rig or whatever.
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00:03:58,166 --> 00:04:02,767
But Paula's more swimsuit,
um, kind of lingerie look.
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00:04:02,834 --> 00:04:06,867
So booking her was
a little bit more
of a challenge
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00:04:06,934 --> 00:04:09,567
in Detroit because
we're Mid-West.
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We're not a swimwear crowd.
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That was all being done
pretty much on the West Coast.
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We're not actively into
the magazines that display
the very sexy.
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00:04:20,467 --> 00:04:24,467
The prototype for that was
the Playboy mansion in LA.
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And I know Paula had interest
in being a Playboy Playmate.
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And I felt if she
wanted to really attain
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the Playmate facade,
you gotta hang around
at the parties,
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you've gotta be seen
with the people
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who make those decisions.
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And so, LA would've been
the market
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00:04:44,033 --> 00:04:47,433
and a better stepping stone
than trying to do it
from the Mid-West.
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[Holly] Around the time
Paula moved to LA,
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00:04:57,767 --> 00:05:01,166
Playboy was doing
a search for their
50th anniversary Playmate.
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00:05:01,233 --> 00:05:03,567
So it was the perfect time
for her to try out.
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00:05:03,567 --> 00:05:06,667
Paula was 19
when she tried out
for Playboy.
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00:05:06,667 --> 00:05:09,767
When you're a young woman
looking to get into
the entertainment industry,
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or into modeling,
there is so much emphasis
placed on youth.
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I remember when
I first came to LA,
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00:05:15,166 --> 00:05:17,367
I was told I was
getting too old at 19.
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You can really
start to feel like,
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00:05:18,867 --> 00:05:20,467
I need to do it now or never.
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00:05:20,467 --> 00:05:23,467
[Christopher]
Paula definitely changed
once she went to LA.
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00:05:23,467 --> 00:05:26,367
She got a little bit
Hollywood I guess,
you could say.
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She got extensions on her hair
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00:05:32,066 --> 00:05:34,767
and boob job
when she was out in LA.
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She looked like
a totally different person,
but still Paula.
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00:05:38,834 --> 00:05:39,934
Gorgeous as all could be.
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00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:48,166
[Holly] Playboy magazine
got its start in 1953.
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00:05:48,166 --> 00:05:50,367
Throughout the 1960s,
it continued to grow.
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00:05:50,367 --> 00:05:52,667
It was a huge part
of the sexual revolution.
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00:05:52,667 --> 00:05:55,166
By the time you hit
the '70s and '80s,
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00:05:55,233 --> 00:05:58,166
it's this main stay
in American pop culture.
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00:05:59,266 --> 00:06:00,767
By the time you get
to the '90s,
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00:06:00,834 --> 00:06:02,367
you have celebrities
in the magazine,
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00:06:02,433 --> 00:06:04,767
coming from the magazine
like Pamela Anderson
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00:06:04,834 --> 00:06:06,667
and Anna Nicole Smith.
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00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:09,867
But going into
the new millennium
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00:06:09,867 --> 00:06:11,767
being a magazine
featuring nude women
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00:06:11,834 --> 00:06:15,100
is no longer
the dominant form of
that kind of entertainment.
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00:06:15,100 --> 00:06:17,867
So Playboy had a lot of
adjusting to do.
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00:06:17,867 --> 00:06:20,367
They've been getting into
the home video arena
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00:06:20,367 --> 00:06:23,467
and the online arena,
and by the time
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you got to 2003,
it was the magazine's
50th anniversary.
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00:06:27,634 --> 00:06:28,867
Golden anniversary.
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And we're looking for
a golden girl.
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[Holly] And perhaps
the 50th anniversary
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00:06:32,834 --> 00:06:34,867
was a time
to get more publicity.
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[Amber] The 50th anniversary
search tryouts,
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00:06:39,834 --> 00:06:41,567
there were former
Playmates there
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00:06:41,567 --> 00:06:43,667
with all the paperwork,
making you feel comfortable,
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making you feel welcome.
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When you go to
a Playboy casting call,
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00:06:47,734 --> 00:06:49,266
you would be
called into the room,
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00:06:49,266 --> 00:06:52,166
you fill out a piece of paper
giving all your stats
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00:06:52,166 --> 00:06:53,767
and your contact information.
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00:06:53,767 --> 00:06:55,367
I'm in cosmetology school.
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00:06:55,367 --> 00:06:58,367
I work in Preston Tech.
I work for the state
of California.
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00:06:58,367 --> 00:07:00,433
Electrical engineering
and computer science.
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00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:05,266
[Christopher]
Paula was ready for stardom.
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00:07:05,266 --> 00:07:07,867
She wanted modeling
to get into the Playboy
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00:07:07,934 --> 00:07:10,033
and Playboy
to get her into the movies.
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You would go into a room,
usually privately
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00:07:13,367 --> 00:07:16,166
to take some test photos
and usually that would involve
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00:07:16,233 --> 00:07:17,867
like getting topless
or maybe nude.
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[man] Beautiful.
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00:07:18,900 --> 00:07:21,467
To be in Playboy
is kind of a dream come true.
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The photographer asked me,
"Do you mind if I get
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a couple of shots
of you topless?"
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And I kind of looked at him
like he was weird [chuckles]
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00:07:31,834 --> 00:07:33,266
and said, "Well,
why do you think I'm here?
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I'm here to try out
for Playboy."
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That's beautiful, right now.
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A search like this could be
a really big deal
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00:07:40,467 --> 00:07:43,166
for a woman trying out
because of the huge prize.
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You're trying to make it
in the entertainment industry,
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to be able to say
you have this Playboy title
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sets you apart
from the crowd.
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Paula would try to be
the center of attention.
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[Amber] You drop
your robe and then quickly,
you kinda have to get over
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00:08:04,133 --> 00:08:05,667
the fact that there's
a lot of people there.
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00:08:05,734 --> 00:08:07,567
But you know they're gonna
make you look good.
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And everyone's
very professional.
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00:08:09,367 --> 00:08:13,266
The Playboy shoots
are designed to make the woman
feel very comfortable
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00:08:13,333 --> 00:08:15,066
and confident
and good about ourself.
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00:08:15,066 --> 00:08:18,066
Playboy's always been about
celebrating the female form
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00:08:18,066 --> 00:08:19,767
and you can tell
in Paula's video
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00:08:19,767 --> 00:08:22,767
she's probably getting
a lot of positive
reinforcement
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00:08:22,767 --> 00:08:25,467
from the crew.
She seems very confident,
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00:08:25,467 --> 00:08:30,166
very lively, very secure
in her beauty and who she is.
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I felt empowered.
This is everything
that I wanted.
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00:08:34,767 --> 00:08:38,266
I felt good
and I felt strong
and I felt confident.
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00:08:38,266 --> 00:08:40,667
They've got people doing
your nails and sending you
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00:08:40,667 --> 00:08:43,467
to salons in Beverly Hills
doing your hair.
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All of a sudden you're
swept up in a dream world
of Playboy.
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[Christopher]
The magazine was
a stepping stone for Paula
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00:08:49,934 --> 00:08:55,066
to get into other
modeling jobs, uh,
maybe movies, TV.
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Anything like that, you know,
the sky was the limit for her.
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She was a beautiful woman.
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00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:04,567
[Colleen] But when
you're young and you've
just shot with Playboy
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00:09:04,567 --> 00:09:06,367
and you're
the center of attention
and you're up doing
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00:09:06,367 --> 00:09:08,467
the late nights
and the partying,
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00:09:08,533 --> 00:09:10,567
you never know
who you're surrounded by,
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00:09:10,567 --> 00:09:12,767
what this person's
background is.
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00:09:12,767 --> 00:09:18,834
I think that girls
can really get in some
very bad situations.
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00:09:26,367 --> 00:09:27,567
[Holly] After the tryouts,
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00:09:27,634 --> 00:09:28,967
all the photos
were looked over
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00:09:29,033 --> 00:09:31,166
and the top candidates
from all over the country
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00:09:31,233 --> 00:09:33,367
were chosen to take part
in test shoots.
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00:09:33,367 --> 00:09:36,467
So from the test shoot,
they could choose
the 50th anniversary Playmate,
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00:09:36,467 --> 00:09:39,467
which was presented as being
like a very special Playmate.
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00:09:39,467 --> 00:09:42,967
You got paid
a little bit more,
you're given prizes.
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00:09:43,033 --> 00:09:46,000
As the 50th anniversary
Playmate search was
winding down,
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00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:47,667
there were probably
thousands of women
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waiting to find out
if they made it.
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This could've been
a career making opportunity
for Paula.
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00:09:55,066 --> 00:09:56,767
But unfortunately,
she wasn't chosen
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00:09:56,767 --> 00:09:58,867
as the 50th anniversary
Playmate.
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00:09:58,867 --> 00:10:02,533
I'm Colleen Shannon
and I'm the 50th
anniversary Playmate.
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00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:07,166
I was chosen as
the 50th anniversary Playmate.
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00:10:07,166 --> 00:10:10,433
It was a lifelong
dream for me.
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00:10:11,467 --> 00:10:14,367
[Amber] I ended up appearing
in the issue
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00:10:14,433 --> 00:10:16,767
as a finalist for
the 50th anniversary.
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00:10:16,767 --> 00:10:18,467
[Christopher] I don't think
not getting into
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00:10:18,533 --> 00:10:21,066
the 50th anniversary magazine
would've been viewed as
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00:10:21,066 --> 00:10:22,567
a setback for Paula.
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00:10:22,567 --> 00:10:27,467
I think she took it as,
okay, I've gotta get into
the next thing for it.
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00:10:27,467 --> 00:10:29,767
[Holly]
Paula was in the DVD extras
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00:10:29,767 --> 00:10:31,767
for the 50th
anniversary search.
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00:10:33,567 --> 00:10:35,467
As Playboy home video
went into the '90s
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00:10:35,467 --> 00:10:39,367
and early 2000s, of course,
they sold a lot of things
on DVD.
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00:10:39,433 --> 00:10:41,967
And the early 2000s,
the home video portion
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00:10:42,033 --> 00:10:45,266
of Playboy enterprises
was huge for the company.
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00:10:45,333 --> 00:10:47,667
[Amber] A lot of the girls,
they appeared on
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00:10:47,734 --> 00:10:49,867
Playboy video,
went on to become Playmates
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00:10:49,934 --> 00:10:53,667
and I think anyone
that had any kind of
connection to Playboy,
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00:10:53,667 --> 00:10:56,166
whether you did a tryout
or appeared
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00:10:56,166 --> 00:11:00,367
in a clip of a video,
or a background of a party
at Hef's,
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00:11:00,433 --> 00:11:03,767
there's always that dream
that they still got
eyes on you,
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00:11:03,767 --> 00:11:06,233
and you could make it
to the top, eventually.
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00:11:07,467 --> 00:11:12,166
Doing a shoot with Playboy,
you know, you are
taking a risk, like,
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00:11:12,166 --> 00:11:14,166
you don't know
if it's gonna help your career
197
00:11:14,166 --> 00:11:15,567
or hinder your career.
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00:11:15,567 --> 00:11:18,567
Cover girls of Playmates have
made a career out of it,
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00:11:18,567 --> 00:11:19,867
and then there's girls
where it's like,
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00:11:19,867 --> 00:11:22,867
okay, well, once it's done,
like, it's done.
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00:11:22,867 --> 00:11:24,867
[Holly] Paula was still
in her early 20s.
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00:11:24,867 --> 00:11:26,467
She wanted to
move back to Detroit,
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00:11:26,533 --> 00:11:30,367
but she still was
interested in pursuing jobs
in the modeling industry.
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00:11:36,500 --> 00:11:41,166
After Paula was in Playboy,
I didn't get to
book her a ton.
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00:11:41,233 --> 00:11:44,767
Back in the day,
Detroit had a very
conservative client base
206
00:11:44,834 --> 00:11:47,467
and if they find out that
you were a Playmate model,
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00:11:47,533 --> 00:11:49,467
then they would cancel you.
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00:11:49,533 --> 00:11:53,000
I would always tell models,
be careful as to how much
skin you showed,
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00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:55,266
and where
you showed it because
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00:11:55,266 --> 00:11:59,467
as you move through life,
this will always be out there.
211
00:11:59,467 --> 00:12:01,266
And sometimes will
come back to bite you.
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00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:06,967
[Colleen] Becoming a Playmate
can be the high point
of your life.
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00:12:06,967 --> 00:12:09,867
But the new girls,
they're coming in
on the daily,
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00:12:09,867 --> 00:12:11,767
you know, and it's like,
once it's up, it's like,
215
00:12:11,767 --> 00:12:13,467
well, what are you
gonna do next?
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00:12:14,967 --> 00:12:17,066
Playboy didn't work out
for Paula as far as
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00:12:17,133 --> 00:12:18,467
furthering her
modeling career,
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00:12:18,467 --> 00:12:20,934
but she did find another way
to capitalize on her
good looks.
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00:12:24,467 --> 00:12:29,066
After the search,
Paula went into
exotic dancing.
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00:12:29,133 --> 00:12:30,967
She would build herself
as a Playboy model
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00:12:31,033 --> 00:12:32,266
and have like
the Playboy bunny
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00:12:32,266 --> 00:12:34,467
projected behind her
on stage and things like that.
223
00:12:34,467 --> 00:12:37,567
It can really help you
stand out in a crowd.
224
00:12:37,567 --> 00:12:40,467
You're still pretty
and you're Playboy,
you can dance now.
225
00:12:40,467 --> 00:12:43,467
You can come to the club
and make a thousand dollars
a night.
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00:12:43,533 --> 00:12:46,100
When that kind of money
is offered to you,
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00:12:46,100 --> 00:12:48,233
people definitely
are drawn to that.
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00:12:49,667 --> 00:12:51,967
I think Hef in Playboy
did not like it
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00:12:51,967 --> 00:12:54,667
when their brand was
associated with strip clubs.
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00:12:54,667 --> 00:12:57,667
They wanted to keep it
a little more elevated.
231
00:12:57,734 --> 00:12:59,667
But because she was
in a Playboy video,
232
00:12:59,667 --> 00:13:02,066
it is fair for her to say
she was in Playboy.
233
00:13:06,100 --> 00:13:09,166
Paula liked to be able to
purchase nice things.
234
00:13:09,166 --> 00:13:11,467
And she was making money
as an exotic dancer.
235
00:13:11,467 --> 00:13:16,367
She always paid her way
and she always had
nice clothes, nice car
236
00:13:16,433 --> 00:13:20,000
for a 21 year old
driving around
in a convertible Mustang
237
00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:22,467
that she paid for.
She was proud of that car.
238
00:13:23,667 --> 00:13:25,100
Paula was somebody
who partied hard,
239
00:13:25,100 --> 00:13:27,467
would entail drinking
and drug use.
240
00:13:27,533 --> 00:13:29,166
I think working
in that environment,
241
00:13:29,166 --> 00:13:30,667
those things go hand to hand.
242
00:13:30,667 --> 00:13:33,967
You'll see drugs
and a lot of drinking,
243
00:13:33,967 --> 00:13:36,266
and stuff like that
in that industry.
244
00:13:36,333 --> 00:13:37,867
There definitely were
some pitfalls.
245
00:13:37,934 --> 00:13:40,166
I know she would get groped
and stuff like that.
246
00:13:40,233 --> 00:13:43,433
So it was definitely
some unwanted attention there.
247
00:13:46,066 --> 00:13:49,667
Paula also had been in
tumultuous relationships.
248
00:13:49,667 --> 00:13:51,967
When I knew her,
she was dating a guy.
249
00:13:51,967 --> 00:13:53,166
His name was Robie.
250
00:13:53,233 --> 00:13:54,767
I don't think he treated her
very well.
251
00:13:54,767 --> 00:13:58,100
She called me
on several occasions
when they'd gotten in fights.
252
00:13:58,100 --> 00:14:00,166
And I had to come rescue her.
253
00:14:00,166 --> 00:14:02,967
I know he hit her
a couple of times.
254
00:14:04,500 --> 00:14:07,367
It was always hard for me
to see her being in
that kind of situation.
255
00:14:07,367 --> 00:14:10,967
I always was like,
you should just
get rid of him.
256
00:14:10,967 --> 00:14:13,066
You're young. You can do
a lot better than him.
257
00:14:14,867 --> 00:14:17,066
Our friendship
would take breaks
258
00:14:17,066 --> 00:14:19,567
every once in a while
where I was slowing down.
259
00:14:19,567 --> 00:14:22,166
I'm not partying
or I wouldn't see her.
260
00:14:22,233 --> 00:14:24,567
At some point,
she ended up down in Miami
261
00:14:24,567 --> 00:14:27,567
with a guy she was dating.
I didn't even know who he was.
262
00:14:27,567 --> 00:14:29,433
Never heard anything
about him.
263
00:14:31,667 --> 00:14:34,100
[David] Kevin Klym was
a realtor working in Detroit.
264
00:14:34,100 --> 00:14:36,667
Kevin and Paula seemed
to have been together
265
00:14:36,667 --> 00:14:40,467
for a couple of years to
the best of my recollection.
266
00:14:40,533 --> 00:14:42,066
Uh, maybe less.
267
00:14:46,767 --> 00:14:48,667
Paula and Kevin
flew in from Michigan
268
00:14:48,667 --> 00:14:52,000
down to Miami
during New Year's eve, 2009.
269
00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:55,467
Paula and Kevin were in Miami
to celebrate the New Year.
270
00:14:55,467 --> 00:14:58,533
This was
going to be the ultimate
fun filled weekend.
271
00:15:02,266 --> 00:15:05,767
After a Lady Gaga concert,
Paula and Kevin were
272
00:15:05,834 --> 00:15:08,867
hitting all of the clubs
and then the after clubs.
273
00:15:08,934 --> 00:15:14,567
Paula was, I would say,
Kevin's meal ticket.
274
00:15:14,567 --> 00:15:19,567
I don't think he was
making a lot of money
at that point in his life.
275
00:15:19,634 --> 00:15:25,266
And so, he was pretty much
rolling along with Paula.
276
00:15:25,333 --> 00:15:27,867
[Christopher] Paula was
making a lot of money.
277
00:15:27,867 --> 00:15:30,767
And I'm sure that he was
taking advantage of her
278
00:15:30,767 --> 00:15:33,166
if he was being
supported by her.
279
00:15:33,166 --> 00:15:37,367
But man, I couldn't imagine
Paula would've allowed
that for long.
280
00:15:37,367 --> 00:15:39,100
Paula was
pull no punches kinda girl.
281
00:15:39,100 --> 00:15:42,767
She wouldn't hold back
if she didn't like something
you said or did.
282
00:15:42,767 --> 00:15:44,867
She would've let you know.
283
00:15:44,934 --> 00:15:47,166
Paula did whatever
she wanted to do,
284
00:15:47,166 --> 00:15:49,166
when she wanted to do it.
It wasn't...
285
00:15:49,166 --> 00:15:53,467
Nobody ever was
gonna tell her no
and stop her from doing that.
286
00:15:55,567 --> 00:15:57,867
For a tourist,
if you're coming in town
287
00:15:57,934 --> 00:16:00,867
and you don't know
the streets of Miami,
288
00:16:00,867 --> 00:16:02,634
you're in
for a rude awakening.
289
00:16:03,567 --> 00:16:06,467
There's areas in Miami
that are just beautiful
290
00:16:06,467 --> 00:16:11,467
and gorgeous, Key Biscayne,
Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay,
Coral Gables.
291
00:16:11,467 --> 00:16:15,100
But at night,
you gotta be careful
what street you're on.
292
00:16:15,100 --> 00:16:19,367
This night club neighborhood
is not a nice neighborhood.
293
00:16:19,367 --> 00:16:21,367
There's pan handlers
out on the street,
294
00:16:21,367 --> 00:16:25,066
there's drug sales going on
on the street.
295
00:16:25,133 --> 00:16:27,567
Paula would go out
to the night clubs
and go dancing
296
00:16:27,567 --> 00:16:29,166
whenever she could.
297
00:16:29,233 --> 00:16:30,667
She was kinda like
the energizer bunny.
298
00:16:30,667 --> 00:16:33,166
She kept going and going,
and going.
299
00:16:33,166 --> 00:16:36,467
[David] Most bars in Miami,
they close at 5:00 am.
300
00:16:36,467 --> 00:16:39,166
Club Space was
a different animal.
301
00:16:39,166 --> 00:16:41,767
They opened
at eleven o'clock
in the evening
302
00:16:41,767 --> 00:16:43,867
and they closed at 2:00
in the afternoon.
303
00:16:43,934 --> 00:16:48,166
So it was a late night,
early morning club where
304
00:16:48,233 --> 00:16:52,233
people did Mollys and Xanax
and different kinds of drugs.
305
00:16:53,266 --> 00:16:55,000
[Christopher] I was always
worried about Paula.
306
00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:59,667
Being as free spirited
as she was, I always
worried about her.
307
00:16:59,734 --> 00:17:02,867
But I was shocked
when I got a call
from my friend Nicole
308
00:17:02,867 --> 00:17:05,166
and said, hey,
put on the news right now.
309
00:17:05,166 --> 00:17:06,567
Something happened with Paula.
310
00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:15,967
[Meghan] Kevin wakes up
the next morning
311
00:17:15,967 --> 00:17:18,767
in their hotel
around 11:30 am
312
00:17:18,767 --> 00:17:22,066
and he's very surprised
that Paula has not returned.
313
00:17:23,100 --> 00:17:25,367
Kevin reaches out
to the police
314
00:17:25,367 --> 00:17:27,367
to file
a missing persons report.
315
00:17:27,433 --> 00:17:28,967
But they say
that it's too soon.
316
00:17:28,967 --> 00:17:32,000
So Kevin started
calling around
and was able to find
317
00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:34,467
a private investigator
just that day
318
00:17:34,467 --> 00:17:36,033
to help him locate
his girlfriend.
319
00:17:36,900 --> 00:17:41,066
[David] Kevin Klym called me
early January 3rd.
320
00:17:41,767 --> 00:17:44,066
The weekend had been
New Year's eve
321
00:17:44,066 --> 00:17:46,967
and while I'm in the office,
I got the call.
322
00:17:46,967 --> 00:17:51,367
And he told me
his girlfriend was missing,
he seemed desperate.
323
00:17:51,367 --> 00:17:55,567
And I said, why don't I
take you down to the city
at Miami police station.
324
00:17:55,567 --> 00:17:59,567
And we'll get a detective
that's gonna help us out
325
00:17:59,567 --> 00:18:01,533
and get this thing moving.
326
00:18:04,166 --> 00:18:06,967
I had contacts in Miami.
I've been in law enforcement.
327
00:18:07,033 --> 00:18:09,367
I've been working
in the system
for a long time.
328
00:18:09,367 --> 00:18:14,100
And so, fortunately,
I got to somebody
that got us
329
00:18:14,100 --> 00:18:15,967
in the right hands
very quickly.
330
00:18:15,967 --> 00:18:19,166
And Kevin went down there.
I didn't hear the story
331
00:18:19,166 --> 00:18:21,266
until the detective,
me and Kevin
332
00:18:21,266 --> 00:18:23,567
were sitting there
at the city of Miami
police station
333
00:18:23,567 --> 00:18:26,767
and he was telling
the two of us
what had happened.
334
00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:34,266
Kevin tells police
that he and Paula
were in Miami
335
00:18:34,266 --> 00:18:38,033
to celebrate the New Year
with some very hard partying.
336
00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:43,266
[David] According to Kevin,
he and Paula went into
Club Space
337
00:18:43,266 --> 00:18:45,867
at approximately 5:30
in the morning.
338
00:18:45,867 --> 00:18:47,467
They arrived by 10:00.
339
00:18:47,533 --> 00:18:49,767
They seem to be
drinking heavily.
340
00:18:49,767 --> 00:18:53,467
Paula was a type of gal
that people would
turn their heads
341
00:18:53,533 --> 00:18:55,467
to look at her
'cause she was special.
342
00:18:55,467 --> 00:18:58,066
She was pretty,
she was sexy,
343
00:18:58,066 --> 00:19:03,266
and she had all eyes on her
when she was in that club.
344
00:19:03,333 --> 00:19:06,000
[Holly]
Being a beautiful woman
walking into a night club,
345
00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:07,367
there can be
a lot of benefits.
346
00:19:07,367 --> 00:19:11,567
People wanna buy you drinks,
people wanna let you
into VIP area.
347
00:19:11,634 --> 00:19:13,967
You know, you can get
everything comped or for free.
348
00:19:16,667 --> 00:19:20,667
But it's really important
as a woman going out
to really be on your guard.
349
00:19:20,734 --> 00:19:23,467
You know, there's people
trying to slip things
into your drinks,
350
00:19:23,467 --> 00:19:26,767
there's people trying to
grab you as you walk
across the room.
351
00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:32,266
Kevin saw somebody
he thought he knew
in the upstairs part
352
00:19:32,333 --> 00:19:34,066
of the club.
So he went up
353
00:19:34,133 --> 00:19:36,767
to try to find that person
and say hello to him.
354
00:19:39,867 --> 00:19:44,567
Being an attractive woman is,
it kind of makes you a magnet.
355
00:19:44,567 --> 00:19:46,000
And sometimes
you're attracting
356
00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:47,934
the wrong attention, you know?
357
00:19:52,367 --> 00:19:55,266
Kevin told us,
when he came back down,
358
00:19:55,333 --> 00:19:59,133
a situation around Paula
was out of control.
359
00:20:01,567 --> 00:20:03,634
Paula was dancing.
360
00:20:05,166 --> 00:20:08,166
Guys were grinding
next to her.
361
00:20:10,667 --> 00:20:12,467
At that point,
Kevin grabbed her and said,
362
00:20:12,467 --> 00:20:14,934
"Paula, come on, babe.
Let's go."
363
00:20:16,667 --> 00:20:21,066
And she picked her arm up
to push him away.
364
00:20:22,967 --> 00:20:25,467
That was Paula to a tee.
Nobody was gonna tell her
365
00:20:25,467 --> 00:20:27,166
what she could or couldn't do.
366
00:20:27,233 --> 00:20:29,734
She was gonna do
what she wanted,
when she wanted.
367
00:20:32,467 --> 00:20:36,066
Within seconds,
bouncers were on Kevin.
368
00:20:38,367 --> 00:20:43,367
Kevin was escorted
out of the club about 7:15
in the morning.
369
00:20:44,467 --> 00:20:46,166
He gets outside.
370
00:20:46,166 --> 00:20:49,166
Kevin told us
that he was upset because
371
00:20:49,166 --> 00:20:51,767
he's thrown out,
Paula pushed him away,
372
00:20:51,767 --> 00:20:53,333
she wouldn't come with him.
373
00:20:55,200 --> 00:21:00,567
Kevin decides, well,
I'm just gonna go back
to the hotel in Miami beach.
374
00:21:00,567 --> 00:21:03,066
Takes a cab
back to his hotel.
375
00:21:07,100 --> 00:21:11,166
But as far as he knew,
Paula's still there
at Club Space.
376
00:21:12,867 --> 00:21:15,467
He thought
she might be partying
for a while.
377
00:21:15,467 --> 00:21:18,667
He thought she may go
somewhere else
to another club.
378
00:21:18,734 --> 00:21:22,767
But for her not to return
after several hours,
379
00:21:22,834 --> 00:21:26,567
after he woke up,
he seemed worried about her.
380
00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:34,367
With that information
that he had given us,
381
00:21:34,367 --> 00:21:37,533
me and the detective
went back to Club Space
382
00:21:38,266 --> 00:21:42,066
and we had contacted
a manager
383
00:21:42,066 --> 00:21:45,667
who was able to get access
to the video room.
384
00:21:45,667 --> 00:21:50,567
So we started going through
tapes of camera footage
385
00:21:50,634 --> 00:21:53,567
of them in the club.
386
00:21:53,567 --> 00:21:55,967
[Meghan]
The surveillance cameras
in this particular club were
387
00:21:55,967 --> 00:22:00,367
were aimed at the door
and at the bar,
at the cash register.
388
00:22:00,367 --> 00:22:03,166
So what they're
really surveilling is
their employees
389
00:22:03,166 --> 00:22:06,066
to make sure nobody's stealing
and that they're doing
the right thing.
390
00:22:06,066 --> 00:22:07,667
But what they're
not looking at
391
00:22:07,734 --> 00:22:11,567
is the whole area of the club
with their patrons.
392
00:22:11,634 --> 00:22:16,767
Kevin was seen on video
being escorted
out of the club.
393
00:22:18,667 --> 00:22:21,266
And then Paula was
escorted out
394
00:22:21,333 --> 00:22:23,767
less than ten minutes
after Kevin.
395
00:22:28,767 --> 00:22:30,767
It's common practice
at many night clubs
396
00:22:30,834 --> 00:22:34,100
where if a couple is
in an altercation
inside the club,
397
00:22:34,100 --> 00:22:37,233
they will be separated
and escorted out
at different times.
398
00:22:38,166 --> 00:22:40,467
Kevin was actually
holding Paula's cellphone
399
00:22:40,467 --> 00:22:41,567
when he was ejected
from the club.
400
00:22:41,634 --> 00:22:43,767
So by the time Paula's
out of the club,
401
00:22:43,767 --> 00:22:46,367
she has no way to contact him
or anyone else.
402
00:22:46,367 --> 00:22:52,467
The security footage,
a grainy footage,
it was not real clear.
403
00:22:52,533 --> 00:22:57,467
There was a number of men
that actually followed her out
as soon as she passed.
404
00:23:01,066 --> 00:23:03,667
All of the security cameras
at Club Space
405
00:23:03,734 --> 00:23:05,266
were inside the club.
406
00:23:05,266 --> 00:23:06,767
So after Paula has
left the club,
407
00:23:06,834 --> 00:23:08,533
no one can account
for her movements.
408
00:23:11,567 --> 00:23:14,066
[Meghan] Wasser and Kevin,
they take to the streets.
409
00:23:14,066 --> 00:23:17,000
They're handing out flyers,
showing her picture
410
00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:19,333
and asking anyone
if they've seen Paula.
411
00:23:21,066 --> 00:23:23,000
[David] I'm there as
a private investigator.
412
00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:24,767
I have no authority.
413
00:23:24,767 --> 00:23:27,467
My job is to help
try to find her
414
00:23:27,467 --> 00:23:32,467
and you wanna check out
as many places as you can
to find Paula.
415
00:23:32,533 --> 00:23:36,467
But I'm giving Kevin advice,
hey, let's start
calling hospitals.
416
00:23:36,467 --> 00:23:37,967
Let's start calling
the medical examiner.
417
00:23:37,967 --> 00:23:40,667
Let's call local jails,
you know.
418
00:23:40,667 --> 00:23:46,066
Let's eliminate all the places
we can so we can keep
our focus to where she is.
419
00:23:48,266 --> 00:23:51,367
He got hold of
the medical examiner's office
420
00:23:51,367 --> 00:23:54,567
and learned that
there was a body
421
00:23:54,567 --> 00:23:57,367
that had been located
in North Miami
422
00:23:57,367 --> 00:24:00,367
and they wanted
to talk to Kevin.
423
00:24:02,700 --> 00:24:05,467
[Meghan] When Kevin
gets to the medical
examiner's office,
424
00:24:05,467 --> 00:24:08,667
they show him some earrings
that belonged to a female,
425
00:24:08,667 --> 00:24:11,767
but the earrings were
badly burned.
426
00:24:11,767 --> 00:24:15,000
And Kevin didn't really
recognize the first two
earrings they showed him.
427
00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:17,467
But then they showed him
a third earring,
428
00:24:17,533 --> 00:24:20,567
and Kevin immediately
recognized that item
429
00:24:20,567 --> 00:24:23,033
as an earring
that belonged to Paula.
430
00:24:25,166 --> 00:24:29,467
[narrator] Sladewski's
burned body was found
in a North Miami trash can.
431
00:24:29,467 --> 00:24:33,266
You know, we can't even...
We can't even give her
an open casket.
432
00:24:33,333 --> 00:24:35,266
We can't even see her again.
433
00:24:35,266 --> 00:24:37,467
[narrator]
The 26 year old
woman's family
434
00:24:37,467 --> 00:24:40,567
has said she was strangled
before she was set on fire.
435
00:24:40,567 --> 00:24:43,533
She had to be identified
using dental records.
436
00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:47,867
[Amber]
What happened to Paula,
that's just devastating.
437
00:24:47,867 --> 00:24:49,367
It's horrifying.
438
00:24:49,367 --> 00:24:53,433
It's just... a tragedy.
439
00:24:56,700 --> 00:24:58,667
When the police
discover a body,
440
00:24:58,734 --> 00:25:02,667
what becomes very critical is
getting the medical examiner
441
00:25:02,667 --> 00:25:05,367
to identify the body
and work with whatever
442
00:25:05,367 --> 00:25:07,767
remains they have,
no feet injuries.
443
00:25:07,767 --> 00:25:10,000
Was this a case of
a strangulation?
444
00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:12,567
Or was there
a potential shooting?
445
00:25:12,567 --> 00:25:16,667
In this case,
all the police discovered
of Paula in that dumpster
446
00:25:16,667 --> 00:25:18,867
were charred human remains.
447
00:25:18,934 --> 00:25:21,166
There wasn't much left,
unfortunately.
448
00:25:21,233 --> 00:25:23,867
So it was not possible
for the medical examiner
449
00:25:23,867 --> 00:25:26,266
to identify
how Paula was murdered
450
00:25:26,266 --> 00:25:28,233
before her body was burned.
451
00:25:30,367 --> 00:25:32,667
[David] It is no longer
a missing persons case.
452
00:25:32,667 --> 00:25:36,166
It becomes a homicide
and there should be
453
00:25:36,166 --> 00:25:39,667
a lot more investigation now
being conducted.
454
00:25:39,667 --> 00:25:44,667
North Miami got hold of Kevin
and started interrogating him
455
00:25:44,667 --> 00:25:46,667
for an awfully long time.
456
00:25:46,734 --> 00:25:49,667
And I could tell he was
very concerned.
457
00:25:49,667 --> 00:25:51,867
[Meghan] When they initially
bring Kevin in
458
00:25:51,867 --> 00:25:54,867
to interview him,
Kevin speaks without a lawyer
459
00:25:54,867 --> 00:25:59,066
and it winds up being
a 12 hour interrogation.
460
00:25:59,133 --> 00:26:03,233
Police find out
Kevin and Paula had
a tumultuous relationship.
461
00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:07,767
Kevin had broken
Paula's nose once.
462
00:26:07,767 --> 00:26:12,767
Kevin has a documented
criminal history of
domestic violence.
463
00:26:12,767 --> 00:26:16,233
Kevin now looks like
a prime suspect
in this case.
464
00:26:22,166 --> 00:26:23,367
[Meghan] With Kevin Klym,
465
00:26:23,367 --> 00:26:26,166
police now have a boyfriend
who has used violence
466
00:26:26,166 --> 00:26:27,767
in the past
against his girlfriend.
467
00:26:27,767 --> 00:26:30,266
They've been drinking
all weekend long.
468
00:26:30,333 --> 00:26:31,967
They have a fight.
469
00:26:34,066 --> 00:26:35,734
Paula is found dead.
470
00:26:37,166 --> 00:26:39,734
Things aren't looking
that good for him.
471
00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:43,467
Domestic violence,
unfortunately,
472
00:26:43,467 --> 00:26:46,367
is a huge concern amongst
Playmates or women who are
473
00:26:46,367 --> 00:26:48,367
in the modeling industry.
474
00:26:48,367 --> 00:26:50,567
You meet men who are
really attracted to that,
475
00:26:50,634 --> 00:26:52,767
but then they become
possessive and jealous,
476
00:26:52,767 --> 00:26:54,967
and that can play into
the arguing.
477
00:26:55,033 --> 00:26:58,066
It can play into things
escalating, unfortunately.
478
00:26:59,300 --> 00:27:01,867
Kevin denied any involvement
in Paula's murder
479
00:27:01,867 --> 00:27:03,667
and the police didn't have
any reason to hold him.
480
00:27:03,667 --> 00:27:06,967
So they released him,
but advised him to stay
in Miami.
481
00:27:07,033 --> 00:27:11,367
[David] I felt that the police
are trying to close this case
and arrest Kevin.
482
00:27:11,433 --> 00:27:13,000
I didn't know him from Adam,
483
00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:15,867
and I wanted to feel
more comfortable
484
00:27:15,867 --> 00:27:18,467
that he was my client
and who has was.
485
00:27:18,533 --> 00:27:21,767
So I wanted to go back
to the hotel where he was
486
00:27:21,834 --> 00:27:24,367
just to see the room,
to see what I can see
487
00:27:24,367 --> 00:27:29,266
if there's anything
that stood out to me
that was unusual.
488
00:27:29,333 --> 00:27:32,467
[Meghan]
To burn a victim's body,
it's a way to make sure
489
00:27:32,467 --> 00:27:35,867
that this victim
can't be identified quickly,
490
00:27:35,867 --> 00:27:40,000
and that no biological
material, including DNA
491
00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:41,967
can be traced back
to the offender.
492
00:27:42,033 --> 00:27:45,166
So in this mindset,
it's all about the cover up.
493
00:27:47,367 --> 00:27:51,266
I was looking around,
there's nothing else
standing at the room
494
00:27:51,266 --> 00:27:53,166
other than what he described,
you know,
495
00:27:53,233 --> 00:27:57,166
stuff from her getting dressed
to go to see Lady Gaga.
496
00:27:57,166 --> 00:27:59,667
Her clothing in there,
no blood,
497
00:27:59,667 --> 00:28:02,467
nothing that looked like
there had been a struggle
in his room.
498
00:28:02,533 --> 00:28:03,967
Anything like that.
499
00:28:08,100 --> 00:28:13,266
So while I was looking,
I also start providing
information
500
00:28:13,266 --> 00:28:15,567
to North Miami police.
501
00:28:15,634 --> 00:28:18,066
Paula was missing
from Club Space,
502
00:28:18,066 --> 00:28:20,066
which is downtown Miami.
503
00:28:20,133 --> 00:28:23,367
She was found about
12 minutes to the north
504
00:28:23,433 --> 00:28:27,567
in an industrial area
in North Miami.
505
00:28:27,567 --> 00:28:30,567
North Miami police
get the jurisdiction,
506
00:28:30,634 --> 00:28:32,133
that they take the case.
507
00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:40,467
Kevin didn't know Miami.
He did not have a vehicle,
which becomes very paramount
508
00:28:40,467 --> 00:28:43,367
because it was clear
that whoever had
509
00:28:43,367 --> 00:28:46,367
murdered Paula would've
had to transport her body,
510
00:28:46,433 --> 00:28:49,767
probably to a location
that was known
to the assailants
511
00:28:49,767 --> 00:28:51,767
and Kevin just didn't
have the means.
512
00:28:51,767 --> 00:28:54,867
He didn't have knowledge
about the area,
513
00:28:54,867 --> 00:28:58,467
and so, given that,
the police are
starting to think that
514
00:28:58,533 --> 00:29:01,166
he might not be
the perpetrator.
515
00:29:01,166 --> 00:29:04,000
[David] I also went back
to a gas station
516
00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:07,367
where we covered a video
which showed Kevin
coming in
517
00:29:07,367 --> 00:29:11,367
and presenting a picture
of Paula to the clerk
518
00:29:11,367 --> 00:29:13,667
and asking if
he'd seen her around.
519
00:29:13,667 --> 00:29:17,867
There was a window
of approximately 14 hours
520
00:29:17,867 --> 00:29:20,867
between the time
that Paula left the club
521
00:29:20,867 --> 00:29:24,867
and the time that she was
discovered burned
in a dumpster.
522
00:29:24,867 --> 00:29:28,000
Kevin's activities were known
during that period of time.
523
00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:30,467
After that,
the police cleared Kevin
524
00:29:30,467 --> 00:29:33,567
of any wrongdoing
or any suspicion.
525
00:29:33,634 --> 00:29:36,967
He was no longer
a person of interest
for North Miami.
526
00:29:37,033 --> 00:29:40,166
And so, he was no longer
involved in the case.
527
00:29:43,266 --> 00:29:46,333
After police cleared Kevin,
he returns to Detroit.
528
00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:49,433
It's part of the tragedy
of this case.
529
00:29:50,467 --> 00:29:53,100
Had Kevin just waited around
for 20 minutes,
530
00:29:53,100 --> 00:29:54,867
he could've
possibly been there
531
00:29:54,934 --> 00:29:59,567
to stop whatever
vicious attack happened
on his girlfriend.
532
00:29:59,567 --> 00:30:03,266
I'm sure that that's something
he has to live with everyday.
533
00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:06,867
As part of
their investigation,
534
00:30:06,867 --> 00:30:09,867
the police are naturally
going to go back
to the club.
535
00:30:09,867 --> 00:30:12,166
They wanna interview
potential witnesses.
536
00:30:12,166 --> 00:30:14,667
Did anyone see Paula
leaving with anyone?
537
00:30:14,667 --> 00:30:18,467
[David] Do you remember
a white gentleman named Kevin?
538
00:30:18,467 --> 00:30:22,467
I started to canvas
that whole Club Space
neighborhood.
539
00:30:22,533 --> 00:30:23,767
There were some
street artists
540
00:30:23,767 --> 00:30:25,634
and vendors close by.
541
00:30:26,567 --> 00:30:29,367
As it would turn out,
they got lucky
in that regard.
542
00:30:29,433 --> 00:30:30,867
And that they found
some witness
543
00:30:30,934 --> 00:30:34,367
who said that he saw a woman
matching Paula's description
544
00:30:34,433 --> 00:30:35,867
walking the way
from the club
545
00:30:35,867 --> 00:30:39,066
with an African-American male.
546
00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:42,967
North Miami police
came up with a sketch
547
00:30:43,033 --> 00:30:45,467
that was based upon
that witness
548
00:30:45,533 --> 00:30:49,767
that had said that
this man was walking
out of Club Space
549
00:30:49,767 --> 00:30:51,333
hand in hand with Paula.
550
00:30:55,667 --> 00:30:57,367
When Paula's case
was covered in the news,
551
00:30:57,367 --> 00:31:00,266
she was often referred to
as a Playboy model.
552
00:31:00,333 --> 00:31:02,266
I'm not sure how much news
of Paula's murder
553
00:31:02,266 --> 00:31:04,100
affected the Playboy
community.
554
00:31:04,100 --> 00:31:06,967
Usually, if Playboy can,
they try not to comment
555
00:31:06,967 --> 00:31:09,433
or distance themselves
from bad publicity.
556
00:31:12,667 --> 00:31:14,367
There was initially
an accusation
557
00:31:14,433 --> 00:31:18,867
that the man in the sketch
was one of the bouncers
at the club.
558
00:31:18,867 --> 00:31:22,967
But the police had interviewed
all the bouncers and there
were surveillance,
559
00:31:22,967 --> 00:31:25,467
there were cameras
that showed their whereabouts.
560
00:31:25,533 --> 00:31:27,867
And so, the police were
able to determine
561
00:31:27,934 --> 00:31:29,767
that it was not
one of the bouncers
562
00:31:29,834 --> 00:31:31,533
at the club that was
in this sketch.
563
00:31:34,467 --> 00:31:38,000
There was nothing
that I know of
that came of that sketch.
564
00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:39,767
There's never been
any mention of
565
00:31:39,834 --> 00:31:42,834
who this guy was
or anything like that.
566
00:31:46,166 --> 00:31:51,467
So as time moved along,
there were no new leads
in this investigation.
567
00:31:51,467 --> 00:31:55,367
I was a major crimes
investigator
568
00:31:55,367 --> 00:31:57,767
and worked on a lot of
murder cases.
569
00:31:57,834 --> 00:32:01,066
I kind of knew a little bit
about investigation
570
00:32:01,133 --> 00:32:04,333
and what was going on
and this was striking me as
571
00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:08,767
just inadequate work.
572
00:32:08,767 --> 00:32:13,767
I felt very strongly
that we needed to find
the perpetrator that did this.
573
00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:19,734
It's one of the most
heinous cases that I've
ever worked and ever seen.
574
00:32:22,467 --> 00:32:24,767
This is an animal out there
that did this.
575
00:32:27,567 --> 00:32:29,934
And that guy should not be
walking the streets.
576
00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:42,667
Paula's family hired David
to keep investigating
577
00:32:42,667 --> 00:32:46,367
and keep trying to find clues
that might lead to an arrest
in Paula's case.
578
00:32:46,433 --> 00:32:49,266
[David] I spoke to Kelly,
Paula's sister
579
00:32:49,266 --> 00:32:53,100
on the telephone
and we'd had
several conversations.
580
00:32:53,100 --> 00:32:55,967
She wanted to fly in
and do what she could
to help out.
581
00:32:55,967 --> 00:32:58,667
I can't see myself
living a normal life
582
00:32:58,667 --> 00:33:02,667
until I know
whoever did this
has paid for it.
583
00:33:02,734 --> 00:33:04,867
I can only pray that
somebody will come forward
584
00:33:04,867 --> 00:33:07,033
and somebody had to have
seen something.
585
00:33:10,767 --> 00:33:15,266
[David] I met her
and we designed a poster.
586
00:33:15,333 --> 00:33:19,000
We were posting these posters
all over the area where
587
00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:21,667
Paula was found,
hoping that
588
00:33:21,734 --> 00:33:25,767
we could get some information.
We were talking to neighbors
down the street
589
00:33:25,767 --> 00:33:30,000
and to try to find out
if anybody even saw the fire
590
00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:31,667
or remembered anything.
591
00:33:31,734 --> 00:33:35,567
A lot of homicide cases
go those first 48 hours,
592
00:33:35,567 --> 00:33:39,066
and then if they don't
start getting some
concrete information,
593
00:33:39,066 --> 00:33:40,767
they just sit there.
594
00:33:40,767 --> 00:33:44,467
I felt that during that time,
the police spent way too much
time on Kevin
595
00:33:44,467 --> 00:33:48,166
and they missed opportunities
at Club Space
596
00:33:48,166 --> 00:33:50,567
going through
a lot of investigation
597
00:33:50,567 --> 00:33:53,667
that would've taken
hours and hours
and a lot of manpower.
598
00:33:53,667 --> 00:33:58,000
This is a type of case,
there were so many witnesses
in this club,
599
00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:00,467
so many people
that needed to be talked to.
600
00:34:00,467 --> 00:34:01,967
And to this day,
I don't know
601
00:34:01,967 --> 00:34:04,333
what the police
did or didn't do.
602
00:34:07,367 --> 00:34:10,066
One of the weird questions
that struck me is
603
00:34:10,066 --> 00:34:13,266
being so important
in this case is,
604
00:34:13,266 --> 00:34:15,667
none of the people
that we were talking to
605
00:34:15,667 --> 00:34:18,166
had been visited
by the police.
606
00:34:18,233 --> 00:34:22,266
And that's just
police work 101 in homicide.
607
00:34:22,266 --> 00:34:27,567
Canvas the neighborhood
where Paula was found, ASAP.
608
00:34:27,567 --> 00:34:31,166
They hadn't even talked
to these neighbors yet.
609
00:34:31,166 --> 00:34:35,567
[Meghan] Initially, Kevin
and Wasser had gone to
the Miami police department.
610
00:34:35,634 --> 00:34:37,567
However, when Paula's body
was discovered,
611
00:34:37,567 --> 00:34:42,667
it was actually located
in a suburb just outside of
Miami proper,
612
00:34:42,734 --> 00:34:45,000
in an area called
North Miami.
613
00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:48,467
So now the police were
essentially directing Kevin
614
00:34:48,533 --> 00:34:51,467
to deal with
North Miami police department
615
00:34:51,467 --> 00:34:54,233
and not Miami
police department.
616
00:34:56,266 --> 00:35:00,667
I was way ahead of 'em
and I was dumbfounded
617
00:35:00,667 --> 00:35:02,634
why they hadn't done that.
618
00:35:03,467 --> 00:35:06,767
Now mind you, North Miami is
a very poor city
619
00:35:06,767 --> 00:35:08,667
located in
North Miami, Florida.
620
00:35:08,667 --> 00:35:13,667
And North Miami's quality
of homicide investigations
621
00:35:13,667 --> 00:35:18,166
at that time was,
I'm sorry to say,
622
00:35:18,166 --> 00:35:21,100
but below the standards
in my opinion,
623
00:35:21,100 --> 00:35:24,166
of anywhere in Dade County.
624
00:35:24,166 --> 00:35:26,467
[Meghan] Some killers
do their homework.
625
00:35:26,467 --> 00:35:28,066
They might target
certain women
626
00:35:28,066 --> 00:35:30,767
or in the same way,
they gather intel about
627
00:35:30,767 --> 00:35:32,467
the jurisdiction they're in,
628
00:35:32,467 --> 00:35:37,467
looking for a location
where the police
can't pay attention to them.
629
00:35:37,467 --> 00:35:39,467
[David] North Miami police
does not share
630
00:35:39,533 --> 00:35:42,100
and they don't have to
share their information
631
00:35:42,100 --> 00:35:45,467
in our open homicide case
with anybody.
632
00:35:45,533 --> 00:35:48,166
But I do believe that
this was one of those cases
633
00:35:48,166 --> 00:35:52,033
that private investigators
could've really helped
and made a difference.
634
00:35:52,767 --> 00:35:54,667
I was not there
to solve a homicide.
635
00:35:54,734 --> 00:35:56,567
I was there
in the beginning
636
00:35:56,567 --> 00:35:59,867
to try to help find Paula
and then it turned into...
637
00:35:59,867 --> 00:36:02,467
The police don't seem like
they're really, really
638
00:36:02,467 --> 00:36:04,367
following this thing
too strongly,
639
00:36:04,367 --> 00:36:06,367
and we need to
keep this case alive.
640
00:36:06,367 --> 00:36:09,634
Maybe somebody
will come forward
that saw something.
641
00:36:13,166 --> 00:36:15,767
Eventually, I was able to
find a witness
642
00:36:15,767 --> 00:36:18,967
who was in one of
the tall condominiums,
643
00:36:18,967 --> 00:36:21,266
upscale building on
Biscayne Boulevard,
644
00:36:21,867 --> 00:36:25,767
and a block away
from Club Space,
645
00:36:26,800 --> 00:36:32,166
and that guy was a really
credible witness to me.
646
00:36:32,166 --> 00:36:33,967
He was a professional.
647
00:36:34,033 --> 00:36:37,166
It bothered him 'cause
he didn't wanna be involved.
648
00:36:37,166 --> 00:36:41,066
But he reached out to me
and told me,
649
00:36:41,133 --> 00:36:45,266
he was walking his dogs
on the same corner
650
00:36:45,333 --> 00:36:47,834
of the street
that Club Space is on.
651
00:36:48,867 --> 00:36:52,266
And he saw this woman who
matched Paula's description
652
00:36:52,333 --> 00:36:53,867
coming up the sidewalk.
653
00:36:56,000 --> 00:36:59,467
And he thought it was
very strange
654
00:36:59,533 --> 00:37:02,333
that a woman dressed
like Paula was dressed...
655
00:37:03,367 --> 00:37:06,767
with a short skirt
and a long, blond hair,
656
00:37:06,834 --> 00:37:08,367
it caught his attention.
657
00:37:11,100 --> 00:37:16,000
And then he saw a truck
driving down the street
in the wrong direction,
658
00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:17,634
it's a one way street.
659
00:37:19,467 --> 00:37:23,634
And Paula gets into the truck.
660
00:37:25,400 --> 00:37:28,367
The truck turned a corner
and left.
661
00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:34,467
Now that would have to be
some coincidence
662
00:37:34,467 --> 00:37:38,100
for a person to be traveling
at that time,
663
00:37:38,100 --> 00:37:41,367
on that road,
at the exact moment
664
00:37:41,367 --> 00:37:44,066
that Paula was walking out.
665
00:37:44,066 --> 00:37:45,867
It's possible,
but I still think
666
00:37:45,867 --> 00:37:47,667
it's more likely
that the perpetrator
667
00:37:47,734 --> 00:37:50,667
knew her from inside the club,
or at least spotted her
668
00:37:50,667 --> 00:37:52,467
and targeted her earlier.
669
00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:56,767
[David] I think that it was
somebody that she had
670
00:37:56,767 --> 00:38:00,266
contact with that night,
in the club.
671
00:38:00,266 --> 00:38:03,667
Or connected with
somebody that either
672
00:38:03,734 --> 00:38:06,367
worked in the club
or they were in the club
673
00:38:06,433 --> 00:38:10,533
that saw an opportunity
to take advantage of her
in her condition.
674
00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:14,967
I would say that
the motive is likely
675
00:38:14,967 --> 00:38:17,567
a sexual assault
and the perpetrator
676
00:38:17,567 --> 00:38:19,166
did not wanna
leave a witness.
677
00:38:29,867 --> 00:38:32,033
[Christopher] I think
the hard part for me was
678
00:38:32,767 --> 00:38:35,066
imagining you're... sorry.
679
00:38:38,567 --> 00:38:41,333
Imagining her
having to go through that.
680
00:38:49,066 --> 00:38:50,333
[sighs]
681
00:38:52,667 --> 00:38:54,266
[Amber] Leaving a club
on New Year's eve
682
00:38:54,266 --> 00:38:56,767
is supposed to be
a celebratory evening,
683
00:38:56,834 --> 00:39:00,066
not being in a city
you know...
684
00:39:00,066 --> 00:39:05,767
and ending up cold,
and lost, and separated
from her boyfriend.
685
00:39:05,767 --> 00:39:08,567
It's gotta be terrifying.
Absolutely.
686
00:39:08,567 --> 00:39:12,967
You would hope
humanity would wanna help you
and somebody would
687
00:39:13,033 --> 00:39:15,166
do the right thing,
but unfortunately,
688
00:39:15,166 --> 00:39:19,333
in our world,
you never know, like,
I don't, it's...
689
00:39:20,100 --> 00:39:22,266
hard to trust people
these days.
690
00:39:22,333 --> 00:39:24,667
Paula's story,
it's very scary because
691
00:39:24,734 --> 00:39:27,367
I feel like I can relate.
I remember, you know,
692
00:39:27,367 --> 00:39:29,867
so many times
when I would go out
with a few friends
693
00:39:29,867 --> 00:39:32,467
and kind of have to
find my way back home,
694
00:39:32,533 --> 00:39:33,967
then I just feel like
this is the kind of thing
695
00:39:33,967 --> 00:39:37,066
that could happen to anybody
and it's really terrifying.
696
00:39:40,967 --> 00:39:44,367
Police continue to search
for clues that might lead them
to Paula's murderer.
697
00:39:44,367 --> 00:39:47,100
But as no new leads came in,
Paula Sladewski's
698
00:39:47,100 --> 00:39:49,767
brutal murder is now
considered a cold case.
699
00:39:54,667 --> 00:39:57,667
[David]
I believe that this case
can be solved
700
00:39:57,667 --> 00:40:01,166
and should be solved
and there's still avenues
701
00:40:01,233 --> 00:40:03,567
to go down to solve this case.
702
00:40:03,567 --> 00:40:06,667
But the question is,
will somebody else
703
00:40:06,667 --> 00:40:10,967
work this case
and move forward on it?
704
00:40:11,033 --> 00:40:12,467
It certainly deserves it.
705
00:40:14,667 --> 00:40:17,066
[Christopher] I think Paula
would've been in movies.
706
00:40:17,066 --> 00:40:19,066
She would've been there.
707
00:40:19,133 --> 00:40:20,934
She wouldn't let anything
hold her back.
708
00:40:22,200 --> 00:40:24,100
I would've loved
to have seen Paula
709
00:40:24,100 --> 00:40:26,033
have fully
realized her dreams.
710
00:40:26,900 --> 00:40:29,567
You know, done whatever
she had, you know,
711
00:40:29,567 --> 00:40:30,734
wanted to accomplish in life.
712
00:40:31,867 --> 00:40:34,767
[Amber] It doesn't matter
what you wear
as a woman,
713
00:40:34,767 --> 00:40:37,767
how you carry yourself
714
00:40:37,767 --> 00:40:40,266
in someone's perceived notion.
715
00:40:40,333 --> 00:40:43,567
It doesn't matter
if you pose nude in Playboy.
716
00:40:43,567 --> 00:40:47,367
That doesn't give somebody
access or the right.
717
00:40:47,367 --> 00:40:48,967
There shouldn't be a why.
718
00:40:48,967 --> 00:40:51,166
Why were they attracted
to this person?
719
00:40:51,166 --> 00:40:53,166
That's not a question.
720
00:40:53,166 --> 00:40:56,266
Why did it happen
is the question.
721
00:40:56,266 --> 00:40:57,533
What happened to Paula
should never happen to anyone.
722
00:41:11,467 --> 00:41:14,166
[Man] Jillian was extremely
focused about her goal that
723
00:41:14,166 --> 00:41:16,467
"I'm going to be in Playboy."
724
00:41:16,467 --> 00:41:19,166
[Woman] I don't think Jillian
knew exactly what she was
725
00:41:19,166 --> 00:41:21,767
getting herself into when she
was pursuing this dream.
726
00:41:21,767 --> 00:41:24,066
You're always going to wonder,
727
00:41:24,133 --> 00:41:26,567
especially when you have someone
like Jill in that book,
728
00:41:26,634 --> 00:41:28,767
I'm sure made a lot
of enemies...
729
00:41:28,834 --> 00:41:30,266
...a lot of enemies.