Blonde Woman Identified Who Helped Ryan Jenkins

Aug. 24, 2009— -- Canadian police have identified the mysterious blonde woman who drove reality TV star and murder suspect Ryan Jenkins to a motel and helped him check in and are trying to determine whether she should be charged with a crime, officials said today.

Jenkins was found Sunday hanging from a coat rack in a Canadian motel room, ending a manhunt following the Aug. 15 discovery of the mutiliated body of his ex-wife Jasmine Fiore.

The body of Fiore, a former swimsuit model, was found stuffed in a trunk with her fingers cut off and her teeth pulled in an apparent attempt to thwart identification of the body.

Jenkins' apparent suicide may have ended the manhunt, but it has not ended the police investigation.

Kevin Walker, the manager of the Thunderbird Motel, told ABC News Jenkins had been at the hotel since Thursday evening when an attractive blonde woman appearing to be in her 20s checked two people into the motel while a man waited outside in a silver Chrysler PT Cruiser.

The woman left after about 20 minutes, Walker said.

Sgt. Duncan Pound of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police held a news conference today to say they have identified the woman who helped Ryan check into the Thunderbird Motel.

Pound declined to identify the woman and said she is not in custody. He did say, however, the RCMP is investigating whether she could face charges for helping Ryan evade police.

TMZ.com identified the woman as Jenkins' former fiance, model Paulina Chmielecka. But CTV, a Canadian television station, reports that police officials have ruled out Chmielecka. CTV also contacted Chmielecka, who denied the rumor.

Earlier today, Sgt. William Kohanek of the Buena Park, Calif., police said investigators are trying to determine whether "anyone else may have assisted him either in crime or in escape."

Susan Schroeder, spokeswoman for the Orange County district attorney, confirmed the direction of the investigation.

"We're looking into who helped him, if anyone, in California," Schroeder said.

Orange County, Calif., District Attorney Tony Rackauckas also raised the question today on "Good Morning America" of whether Jenkins had help.

"How does somebody get 100 miles across the border without any vehicles or anything? The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are continuing that investigation and I think we'll find that out," Rackauckas said.

"It is a crime to harbor a fugitive or to assist a fugitive," he added. "That part of it is still open."

Kohanek was asked whether Jenkins' parents were considered suspects in aiding his flight. "We are looking at all avenues. We are not looking at them at all as suspects. They have assisted us in our questions and they are not trying to conceal anything from us as far as I can tell," he said.

Jenkins' mother Nada Jenkins told ABC News through sobs that her son was innocent and killed himself in a panic.

"He panicked. I know him. He panicked. I know my son didn't do this," a distraught Nada Jenkins told ABC News. "My son was a good person. He is innocent. My son was a talented creative person. He was a wonderful son. He made Mother's Day very special for me. He's a good boy."

Nada Jenkins said the last time she spoke with her son, he was still in the U.S.

Police have been unable to discover where the murder of Fiore took place.

"We don't know where the original crime was committed. That's a big piece of the puzzle," the sergeant said.