Mexican police probe slaying of TV producer's wife

Bruce Beresford-Redman is a successful reality TV show producer, and his wife, Monica, owned a popular Brazilian nightclub and restaurant on the Westside.

Over the weekend, the couple left Los Angeles for a trip to Cancun. Family members said they were trying to repair a marriage that had been fraying in recent months.

Then on Tuesday, Beresford-Redman reported his wife missing. He and Mexican authorities launched a search. On Wednesday night, he was optimistic in an interview with a Los Angeles television station. "I'm very hopeful someone will find my wife very soon,” he told KCAL-TV Channel 9. “She still hasn't been located and we're looking.”

On Thursday, police found her body in a sewer at the resort where they were staying. Mexican prosecutors said she appeared to have been strangled.

Beresford-Redman has been detained for questioning and is a suspect, authorities say.

Beresford-Redman, who grew up in New Jersey, found a great deal of success in reality TV in recent years.

He worked closely with Mark Burnett, the executive producer behind CBS’ hit "Survivor." Beresford-Redman helped produce the fourth season of the series, set in the Marquesas Islands, which premiered in 2002. For season 6, "Survivor: Amazon," he was promoted to a supervising producer, a senior role charged with overseeing a show’s creative direction and the work of lower-ranking producers. He performed the same task for an all-stars edition of "Survivor" in 2004.

With longtime friend Rick Hurvitz, Beresford-Redman went on to create "Pimp My Ride," a reality hit about car restoration that ran on MTV from 2004-07. The show was broadcast in more than 100 countries and at one time was the network’s highest-rated show internationally.

In 2007, Beresford-Redman and Hurvitz were selected to develop and produce unscripted TV shows for IMG Entertainment, a division of the sports and media conglomerate. More recently, they formed a production company called Mindcrime, which developed a stunt-driving show for ABC called "Crash Course." [Update, 3:54 p.m. The show aired four times] However, the series never aired.

Burnett’s office referred calls Thursday to CBS, which declined to comment. [Update, 3:54 p.m.: MTV declined to comment]. An MTV representative could not be reached for comment.

Monica Beresford-Redman is  the owner of Zabumba Bar & Restaurant on Venice Boulevard in Palms. The restaurant is known for serving Brazilian specialties like tri-tip steak and for hosting lively salsa, reggae and bossa nova nights.

-- Kate Linthicum, Jeff Gottlieb and Scott Collins in Los Angeles, Ceclia Sanchez in Mexico City

Comments

[Rex Chapman]

Whats going on in the real estate market?

[Tommy Trojan]

Another wife killer...great

[My opinon means nothing]

This looks too obvious. I hope I'm wrong.

[justice]

i bet he had something to do with it her disappearance...

[giambo]

should have cut her head off and make people think it was the cartel....

[LAPD is a friggin' JOKE]

There is over 4.8 million listings and barely over not even near as many qualified buyers. Take a guess.

[champ]

Its always so amusing how these husbands pretend they are looking for their missing wives and act concerned about their whereabouts. Then the body is found and it turns out they were the ones who killed them and knew where the body was all along.
Heated arguement preceding her going missing. check.
Scratches on his neck. check.
His DNA being found under her fingernails will be next.
Really really funny in a sad and sick way.

[exit2enter]

If this guy did it, did he think the police in Mexico are stupid?