Prosecutors outline murder suspect Kelly Soo Park's alleged history of intimidation
(CBS) LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles prosecutors claim that Kelly Soo Park killed aspiring Hollywood actress and model Juliana Redding in March 2008 during one of a string of strong-arm missions assigned to her and her ex-boyfriend, race car driver Ronnie Case, by a wealthy Los Angeles doctor and businessman named Munir Uwaydah.
Pictures: Kelly Soo Park accused of murder
In a recent motion the District Attorney claims that Park "has committed other distinctive acts of misconduct against similar victims under similar circumstances which exhibit common features of threats, intimidation and bullying for the purpose of assisting Dr. Uwaydah's business interests."
The District Attorney's office also alleges that in 2010, Dr. Uwaydah and Case became "involved in an investment scheme designed to take control of the Ventura County Business Bank" located north of Los Angeles.
Prosecutors say that when a manager named Jerry Lukiewski "sought to resign from the bank and withdraw his arrangement with Dr. Uwaydah," he became the target of intimidation at the hands of Case and Park.
Police seized "a handheld recording device that contained a surreptitious audio recording of Dr. Uwaydah's face-to-face meeting with Mr. Lukiewski" during which he talked about resigning from the bank. After Lukiewski left the room, prosecutors say, Park is heard asking Dr Uwaydah if "Ronnie need[s] to choke some people?"
Dr. Uwaydah allegedly dispatched Park to intimidate the bank manager, telling her to bring along her boyfriend Case, whom Dr. Uwaydah allegedly said was "intimidating... especially when he gets pissed."
Dr. Uwaydah then called Case, whose moniker at the Ventura Raceway is "The Rocket," telling the 6 foot tall, 200-pound driver to "take care of this ***ker, Jerry," according to the motion. Prosecutors also say that Park told Dr. Uwaydah, "We don't have a problem blackmailing [Jerry Lukiewski].
On June 18, 2010, as Park and Case were driving "on their way to intimidate Mr. Lukiewski," police intercepted them, according to the motion, and both were arrested. Park was charged with the murder of Juliana Redding. Case was released without charges.
A third alleged shake down, this time in 2008, [involved a man named Michael Miller who was entangled with Dr. Uwaydah in a failed horse breeding enterprise. Prosecutors say, "Miller believes that Dr Uwaydah... fraudulently sue[d] him ... to "secure a $350,000 judgment against him."
Park and Case allegedly traveled to Kentucky twice in an effort to collect on the debt for Dr. Uwaydah, "establish[ing] the defendant's [Park's] profession as Dr. Uwaydah's debt collector or 'muscle,'" say prosecutors.
Attorney George Buehler, who represents Park, denied that "anything like what prosecutors allege - actually happened," and that Park did not play any such role as muscle or an "enforcer." He plans to file a counter motion to oppose admission of these alleged acts at trial.
Ronnie Case did not return phone calls requesting a response, nor did an attorney representing Dr. Uwaydah. In the motion, prosecutors indicated they were "not seeking to prove that [Park] murdered Ms. Redding at the direction of Dr. Uwaydah," only that the doctor dispatched Park to intimidate and threaten Redding.
Meanwhile, the pre-trial process has dragged on long enough for the alleged "muscles," Park and Case, to break off their long-standing romance. Park is accompanied to court these days by her fiance, retired Oxnard Police Commander Thomas Chronister. But two years after Park's arrest for Redding's murder, a trial date has not yet been set.
Greg Fisher is a producer for 48 Hours. Contact him at fisherg@cbsnews.com or on Twitter @cbscrimefish
More reporting on Kelly Soo Park on Crimesider
October 15, 2012: Prosecutors say Kelly Soo Park stalked murder victim Juliana Redding as part of an alleged shake-down