Family of TV producer's dead wife furious over his return to Los Angeles

The family of a Westside nightclub owner found dead last month at a Cancun resort are outraged that her husband returned to Los Angeles despite repeated orders from Mexican authorities that he remain in Mexico until their investigation was completed.

TV producer Bruce Beresford-Redman is considered a "person of interest" in the death of his wife, Monica, but has not been charged with any crime. He has denied any involvement in her death.

Mexican authorities said last week that they had been looking for Beresford-Redman for several days so they could ask him more questions regarding his wife's death, but could not find him. Beresford-Redman and his wife were on vacation in Cancun when her body was found in a sewer pipe near the couple's hotel.

On Sunday, Beresford-Redman's attorney, Richard Hirsch, released a statement saying his client had returned to Los Angeles to be with his children and to attend to family and personal matters.

"The Burgos family is in shock over Bruce Beresford-Redman's sudden return to the United States. It is our understanding that he was to remain in Mexico until the investigation into Monica's death was concluded," the family of Monica Beresford-Redman said in a statement. "As Mr. Beresford-Redman is certainly aware, the investigation remains ongoing with test results to be released early this week."

There has been some question about how Beresford-Redman was able to leave Mexico because authorities apparently confiscated his passport.

The family said in the statement: "It is further our understanding that his passport was not returned to him by Mexican authorities. Thus, we question how it was possible that he was permitted to enter into this country without a passport and it leads us to conclude that he could just as easily leave this country undetected. We plead with Mr. Beresford-Redman that if he intends to run again that he not involve the children."

Beresford-Redman's attorney also said in the statement released Sunday that his client was not obligated to stay in Mexico.

"He has no legal obligation to remain in Mexico pending an investigation into the tragic death of his wife, Monica," Hirsch wrote. "Mr. Beresford-Redman has not been charged with any crime, and has retained legal representation in both Mexico and the United States."

Hirsch said Beresford-Redman asked the public to respect the family's privacy during this time of "great grief and sorrow."

"He is devastated by the loss of his wife, best friend, and the mother of his children," Hirsch wrote.

-- Shelby Grad and Ching-Ching Ni

Photo: Bruce Beresford-Redman and his wife, Monica. Credit: KTLA

Comments

[Mark]

Gotta love the Mexican "authorities". They let a suspected murdered just waltz right out of the country without even a passport. Is it any wonder that the Mexican justice system is the laughingstock of the civilized world?

[Robert Ameeti]

Let's get real. Guilty or innocent, any reasonable person would return to the US given the potential for an 'extended stay' in Mexico if accused or needed for questioning on a crime. To say that the family is outraged is ridiculous given that they too would have done the same thing regardless of their guilt or innocence.

[jowa]

This guy has slimeball written all over his face.

I thought he was staying in Mexico to answer questions and also help police find the "real killer"?

[jojobobo]

Wow, They don't know how he got out without a passport. They should ask the 8 million or so Mexicans that are here illegally and then maybe they'll have a clue?

[patrick-oc]

...hmmm - entering the US from Mexico without a passport! So technically he's an illegal alien?

[JoeLo]

As soon as he thinks he's gotten away with it, he'll realize that the rest of his life will be spent working in coffee shops and fast food joints. No one in Hollywood will touch this freak.

[Ryan D]

Note to self: If you want to brutally murder your wife and get away with it, invite her to Mexico. This is truly pathetic.

[Chuck]

You probably don't need a US Passport to enter the US, if you can show you are a US citizen/resident. You definitely SHOULD have one, but if he had other ID with him the border guards might let it slide. If he had tried to go to another nation from Mexico, like Costa Rica or Guatemala, or tried to fly anywhere, then he would have needed the passport. But if he drove up and crossed like a day tripper, it wouldn't be a big hassle.

[Mufon]

I was thinking the same thing, since he technically snuck into the US, now he's immune from questioning and privilege to all the protections that California will give him.

[Devi]

*laughs* This is the first time I've ever heard someone committing a crime in Mexico and fleeing to the U.S. Usually, it's the other way around!

[Morty]

If he did return, it wasn't the Mexican authorities that let him cross over, it was the US authorities. You need to show your passport to the US immigration officials, not the Mexican officials.

[Gilda]

U.S. authorities need to extradite him to Mexico so he can face justice.

And before anyone gets snarky about things, as the woman was killed in Mexico, Mexican courts and justice apply.

[toto]

Ryan: u can also murder her in L.A. after your football career is over, and have lapd blow the case. As pathetic as Mexico.

[Snarky]

Obviously an innocent man.

[John]

Funny how his lawyer is asking people to leave him alone during this time of great sorrow. As if he didn't kill her and is not a suspect.
As if he's going to be allowed to sleaze his way around L.A. and people are just going to forget he's suspect in a brutal murder.
He even had scratches all over his neck as she fought for her life.
If the water or sewage didn't contaminate it or erase it then his DNA would be under her fingernails. That's probably why he dumped her in the sewage tank. The chemicals erased any evidence.

[Scott]

I love how so many people use a story having very little to do with Mexico as a way to bash the illegals.

[Digger]

Note to the peanut gallery: US citizens are not required to have a passport to return from Mexico. Several other forms of identification are accepted.

[Jerry Vandesic]

A passport is only necessary when entering the country by air. If you travel by car or boat, you can get in with alternative identification (birth certificat, etc.).

[kuruc]

so he entered the usa without a passport? 50 million mexicans have done the same thing. we have something called the BORED PATROL, right?