Click the following links to advance to the next chapter in Christa's story:

The Childhood Years
The New York City Years
Let’s Go for Broke
The Los Angeles Years
The Murder
The Original Investigation
The Cold Case Investigation
My Investigation
How You Can Help

THE COLD CASE INVESTIGATION

When Christa’s daughter Nicole called the LASD and asked them to pick up the case again, Detectives Larry Bradenberg and Thomas Harris were assigned. They got to work on tracking old contacts and leads, and reconstructing the phantom threads of a case that had essentially been abandoned decades earlier.

One of the more intriguing leads involved Tony Sirico, the actor who memorably portrayed the role of Paulie Walnuts in the hit series The Sopranos. Sirico operated in New York at the time Christa was living there. He was apparently a member of the Colombo crime family, and garnered over two dozen arrests.

In the late seventies, Sirico had moved to Los Angeles to make it as an actor. He became friendly with Lennie Barin (an unlikely couple).

In the immediate aftermath of Christa’s murder, Stephanie received a spooky phone call. “I heard you like to party,” the menacing male voice said. “I’m right down the street.” Sufficiently frightened by the call, Stephanie and Lennie enlisted Tony to stay with her for a while to keep her safe.

Cold case investigators questioned Sirico and asked him about a claim that he had taken furs and tapes from Christa’s apartment the night she was killed. Sirico denied all associations with Christa and asked for a lawyer. He was never questioned again, and our requests for further conversations with Tony have been denied.

The major finding during this course of the investigation involved a startling DNA profile. Using blood samples found under Christa’s preserved nail clippings, the test indicated that they were consistent with a female. This sample could accurately point the finger at the gender of the killer, or it might merely indicate a completely innocuous encounter. The slightest touch can leave a detectible DNA profile. For instance, Christa lived with Stephanie, had spent time with her earlier that evening, and was driving her car to Sandy’s home. Her DNA could innocently and logically wind up on Christa. To this date, however, Stephanie has not been swabbed for DNA.

The cold case investigators did manage to drum up public interest in the case for a short time. They appeared in the 2008 48 Hours special on the case, and in the Mysteries & Scandals special on her death a decade later (an episode in which I also appeared). Today, they have both retired and no one has been assigned to Christa’s case in their absence.

 
Next chapter: OUR INVESTIGATION