Los Angeles is the land of fame and fortune, but Investigation Discovery's latest series, FINAL CUT, proves that it isn't all glitz and glam in these sought-after Hollywood hills. Following devastating stories of big dreams turned horrific nightmares, each episode looks at shocking stories featuring the last act of an aspiring star's career - when the final scene marker slaps down at the fatal intersection of Hollywood & Crime. With investigative journalist Pat LaLama providing expert commentary throughout each case, the new six-part series FINAL CUT premieres on Wednesday, December 5 at 9 PM (E/P) on Investigation Discovery.
"Crime thrives in the City of Angels, and FINAL CUT tells the stories of those who are literally dying to be famous," said
Henry Schleiff, general manager, Investigation Discovery. "This new series goes beyond Hollywood's shiny boulevards to uncover the hidden alleyways where predators prey on young dreamers, while investigative journalist, Pat LaLama, takes our viewers along for the dark ride to see just how much the price of fame can really cost."
The premiere episode of FINAL CUT features the stories of two aspiring young stars, model Kimberly Pandelios and actress Linda Sobek. Though they had never met, both shared the dream of being famous. Their cases are nearly identical: two young women, both blonde and beautiful, both ventured out to a remote location for a photo shoot... but neither came home. Found buried in shallow graves just miles apart, these girls share more than just a tragic fate - they may also share a murderer.
From young dreamers to successful actors, the City of Angels can be one terrifying place, and FINAL CUT reveals that the cruel side of Hollywood leaves nothing extra on the cutting room floor. The Killing Fields' Haing Ngor, famous for being one of only two non-professional actors in history to receive an Oscar, was murdered in cold blood. The Cosby Show's child star and a six-year cast member of The St
Eve Harvey Show,
Merlin Santana, was gunned down while sitting in a car on a Los Angeles street corner. Al Adamson was a master of kitschy, low-budget horror movies, only to find himself a victim in a story that could have come straight from one of his own films. Other cases explored include: Daniel Serrano, a charming plastic surgeon who resorted to industrial-grade lubricant when his supply ran out, leaving devastating results for his clients, including
Shawn King,
Larry King's wife; Anand Jon, an aspiring fashion superstar - and sexual predator - who lured underage models to his own "Runway of Hell;" and Garrett Warren, a martial arts expert and respected stuntman who was gunned down after opening his front door, but somehow lived to tell the tale.
Pat LaLama's career in broadcast journalism is a chronicle of some of the most iconic trials in modern history. The Emmy-award winning investigative journalist is front and center for compelling legal dramas and breaking crime stories. Her analysis and coverage has been seen on nearly every major news and information outlet including HLN, CNN, FOX NEWS, MSNBC, "Dateline NBC," CBS, "The Today Show," E!, ESPN, and internationally.
LaLama is a writer and producer, and before her rise to the national arena, LaLama spent many years as a lead reporter and anchor in local news in some of the nation's larger markets including Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
The highlights of LaLama's career include reporting/analysis in the cases of Casey Anthony, Conrad Murray, Amanda Knox,
Ronni Chasen, Anna
Nicole Smith, Warren Jeffs,
Michael Jackson,
Scott Peterson, OJ Simpson, Hollywood Madam Heidi Fleiss, Rodney King, The Los Angeles riots, the Menendez brothers, JonBenet Ramsey, The Columbine murders, The Branch Davidian shootout, and countless other high profile legal matters.
FINAL CUT is produced for Investigation Discovery by LMNO Productions. For LMNO, Eric Schotz is executive producer and Raymond Bridgers is co-executive producer. For Investigation Discovery, Eugenie Vink is executive producer, Sara Kozak is senior vice president of production, Kevin Bennett is general manager, and
Henry Schleiff is president and general manager.
Investigation Discovery (ID) is America's leading mystery-and-suspense network. From harrowing crimes and salacious scandals to the in-depth investigations and heart-breaking mysteries that result, ID challenges our everyday understanding of culture, society and the human condition. ID delivers the highest-quality programming to nearly 80 million U.S. households with viewer favorites that include On the Case with
Paula Zahn; Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda; Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry?; Disappeared; Stalked: Someone's Watching; and Redrum. For more information, please visit InvestigationDiscovery.com, facebook.com/InvestigationDiscovery, or twitter.com/DiscoveryID. Investigation Discovery is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.8 billion cumulative subscribers in 209 countries and territories.
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