Police hunt for 'mystery date' as woman film-maker found murdered
A FILM producer found buried in a shallow grave in her back garden was due to meet a mystery man around the time she was murdered, it was claimed yesterday.
Laureline Garcia-Bertaux, 34, who has worked with stars including Sheridan Smith and Joan Collins, told a friend that she had arranged a date on Sunday night. But she failed to turn up for work at a public relations firm the following morning and was reported missing. Police found her body on Wednesday night and launched a murder hunt.
She had been dumped in a shallow grave in the rear garden of her ground floor flat in Kew, south-west London.
French-born Ms Garcia-Bertaux was last seen when she was filmed by CCTV outside a Sainsbury's in nearby Richmond on Saturday night.
Her friend Daniel Hughes, 27, who worked with her on the Discovery television channel, said: "She was meant to go shopping in Oxford Street on Sunday. She was meant to meet a man on the Sunday evening. We're not sure when the murder took place, whether it was Saturday night or Sunday night.
"She met him in a shop or something like that and then he must have chatted to her then and they arranged a coffee on Sunday evening.
"We don't know if she went out to meet him or not."
It is understood Ms Garcia-Bertaux, who was single, had been due to move out of the flat soon.
Mr Hughes added: "She had a lot of presence. Always very friendly, very talkative, would never have hurt anyone.
"Got a lot of confidence and passion, a lovely lady. She had a lot of friends as well.
"I've been in that house, I've been in that garden. It's creepy, it upset me."
A former actress and dancer, Ms Garcia-Bertaux worked on the 2012 Sheridan Smith thriller movie Tower Block and with Joan Collins on a short film called Gerry last year.
She had recently joined a major public relations firm while writing screenplays in her spare time.
Neighbour Bob Bassett, 75, said he regularly talked to Ms Garcia-Bertaux about her two large Leonberger dogs.
"She was quiet," Mr Bassett said. "I never saw a boyfriend."
Scotland Yard said: "Although formal identification has not taken place, Laureline's family have been informed of developments.
"A forensic crime scene is in place.
"A post-mortem examination will be held in due course."