Woman Sought in Connection with Roommate’s Death

TOPANGA CANYON — The female roommate of a man found buried in a shallow grave last week--who is a fugitive on unrelated embezzlement charges--is now being sought for questioning in the homicide, authorities said Monday.

Christina Marie White, 29--who also uses the name Timi Vaughn--is not now a suspect in the homicide case but detectives believe she “may have knowledge about the murder,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Martin Rodriguez.

Rodriguez said White, wanted on two warrants on charges of embezzling “large amounts of money,” has been profiled as one of the Los Angeles Police Department’s most-wanted fugitives.

The man found in the grave on a property off Topanga Canyon Boulevard was white and about 30 years old, according to sheriff’s investigators. The partially decomposed body had been in the grave for about a week before it was found and has not yet been identified.

Rodriguez said detectives believe the man was romantically involved with White. He was known to have different jobs, including as a contractor and aspiring actor who may have played small roles.

The body was found Wednesday evening by the landlord, who came to the house--one of three residences on a private road in the 2400 block of Topanga Canyon Boulevard--to collect rent, according to sheriff’s investigators.

Rodriguez said the house--which had no furniture when the body was found--had been surrendered to the landlord, who had come to inspect it.

The landlord noticed a strange odor and saw what appeared to be a freshly dug grave. Investigators said the landlord then dug until he sighted what appeared to be a body, before calling authorities.

White was last seen by the landlord at the house about a week before the body was found, according to investigators.

White is about 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighs about 155 pounds and has blond hair and green eyes, Rodriguez said. She is believed to still be in the area and may have dyed her hair a darker color, he said.