Rita Pekler, 39, was a Russian-American accountant and businesswoman in West Hollywood who worked with Matador Media, a film production company co-owned by George Safiev and Nick Kharabadze. In December 2001 she was abducted by Jurijus Kadamovas and Iouri Mikhel as part of an apparent kidnap-for-ransom scheme targeting affluent members of the former Soviet community.

Kadamovas reportedly lured Pekler with a request for real estate advice and convinced her to drive to a property he claimed to be interested in; the location was actually his residence. There Pekler was restrained and told she would be used to lure Safiev. She said she was pregnant and voiced concern for her unborn child. After Safiev declined to meet and left for Russia, the kidnappers injected Pekler with Dimedrol and strangled her, then disposed of her body by throwing it from Parrotts Ferry Bridge into New Melones Reservoir. Her body was recovered in March 2002.

Kadamovas and Mikhel were arrested in February 2002 after electronic payments tied to ransom demands were traced, and were later convicted of multiple counts including hostage-taking resulting in death. Did anyone in West Hollywood or the Russian-speaking community remember seeing Rita in December 2001 or have information about her contacts that month?